


blame it on the stardust

by NewRageInc



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Occasional NaruHina but you know not... really, One-Shots, SasuHina Month 2017, angst parade, prompts, sasuhina - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-06
Updated: 2017-11-05
Packaged: 2018-11-09 16:51:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 38,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11108775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NewRageInc/pseuds/NewRageInc
Summary: A collection of one-shots.Currently participating in Tumblr's SasuHina month 2k17





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Naruto. 
> 
> From an anon on tumblr who chose from a kiss meme I reblogged a bit back. 
> 
> Prompt: Teasing kisses on every bit of visible skin

 

**_Heartstrings_ **

It was a sticky humid night.

Hinata already felt the telltale signs of sweat pooling down the arch of her back and she regretted letting Sakura do up her face in so much make up. She shifted her weight on her feet, giving one a rest and questioned every decision that led her up to where she stood at this moment.

Hair straight and sleek down her back. Eyes glowing beneath heavily shadowed lids that felt alien under the weight of false lashes. She tugged her at her skirt and fought the frown that threatened to play at her lips.

She was _uncomforable_ and she had half a mind to risk spraining her ankle and trotting her way to a street corner to call an Uber and go home.

But she had essentially invited herself out. She bit the inside of her cheek hard.

"Oh I'm so excited! This DJ sounds great." Ino half squealed, grasping Hinata's hand in hers and causing both girls to tip precariously on their high heeled shoes. Ino already reeked of vodka from where they had started drinking back at their apartment. Hinata offered a small smile.

"The music sounds nice." She said simply wishing she'd taken that last shot with them. But she was never much of a drinker and feared ending the night in the ultimate party foul. She hated the thought of having to try to throw up in one of these gross restrooms much less a back alley.

Sakura was craning her neck a little ahead of them, brows furrowed in concentration before smoothing into a more pleasant expression as she spotted a familiar looking blond through one of the club's windows. Said blond was frowning at his cell phone. He looked up then and spotted Sakura as she waved at him from where they stood in line, bouncing slightly on the balls of her feet.

Hinata felt weary then but continued biting the inside of her cheek.

When the girls had broached the subject of going out tonight she had immediately asked if she could join them.

Final grades had been posted earlier that morning. She had been packed and ready for her father's people to come for her things on Sunday morning. She had her outfit ready for her internship that started on Monday. She should've been in a celebratory mood.

But she wasn't.

Her father had called her shortly after she'd sent him the screen shot of her final grades to tell her that her performance had been abysmal and he hoped this wasn't a sign of how she was going to be at her internship. He wouldn't have it if his collogues started citing nepotism as the only reason she had been awarded her position.

No.

It had to be nepotism _and_ skill.

When she saw Ino dragging her full length mirror into the living room and Sakura pouring out the vodka and cranberry juice she'd essentially shoved Ino out of the way to get to a hastily poured drink.

" _I just need some fun."_

Pfft.

Like she was ever capable of fun.

She tugged at her dress again as the line moved forward and the threesome pulled out their ID cards to show the bouncer. The bulky man scrutinized her for a few moments and she blinked at him innocently, wondering if he'd try to call her out because she looked nothing like her ID photo at the moment. After a brief moment he nodded her passed and she sighed in relief only to be immediately assaulted by the booming bass of house music blaring through the club's speakers.

"Naruto!" Sakura threw her arms around his shoulders, planting a sloppy kiss on to his cheek. He grinned at her, carefully pulling her arms away from him and taking a careful step back.

Hinata fought the urge to roll her eyes, a true sign that she was actually drunk and glad she had refused that last drink. She masked her annoyance with a careful smile and nodded at Naruto in greeting.

"You guys finally showed up!" He yelled over the music taking one of Sakura's hands in his. He jerked his head towards the writhing crowd and Ino, practically vibrating with excitement, grabbed Hinata and Sakura's hands. Linking them all together in a human chain so they wouldn't lose each other in the crowd.

Naruto pulled them to a corner where he, Shikamaru, Kiba, Shino, Choji, and…

"Sasuke?" She heard Ino and Sakura say together. Both of them suddenly sober as they eyed the man standing a little outside of the group of men. He scowled at them.

"Don't sound so surprised." He bit. And Kibba chuckled, clapping a hand on Sasuke's shoulder.

"That's what we said!" Kibba said as Sasuke pulled himself away roughly, straightening his shirt before leaning back against the wall. Sakura shook herself out of her surprise first, nudging Ino next to her and gesturing for Hinata to come closer.

"Let's get some drinks."

At that Shino had actually come forward and pushed some shots into their hands. Hinata blinked down at the plastic cup scrunching her nose at the pink liquid. She looked at him questioningly but the ever stoic Shino simply shrugged, cocking his head over to Choji who was handing his credit card to the bartender to open a tab.

"My man!" Ino said, tipping her head back with the shot at her lips before Hinata could question anyone further. Sakura didn't wait long to do the same and Hinata shrugged.

She was here to have a good time damn it.

So down that drink went.

It didn't take long for her to start feeling more loose as the effects of their earlier drinking and their current drinking caught up to her.

She forgot her eye lids felt weird because of her lashes. She forgot to be mindful of her hair and eventually just pulled it up off of her neck in a high pony tail. She forgot she was supposed to be self-conscious of the length of her borrowed dress as Sakura and Ino dragged her in to the middle of the throngs of people. Bodies writhing to the heavy bass of house music. Fast in tempo and booming so loudly it made her body vibrate.

She forgot about her father's berating words earlier that day as she put her arms up, hands reaching towards the strobe lights above her and moving gracefully through the wisps of mist from the fog machine. She forgot her earlier annoyance as Naruto came up behind Sakura to ward off some guy who was trying to dance on her, pulling Sakura's slender form to the front of him and holding her close as they both moved to the pulsing beat.

Another drink was pushed into her hands.

The music played on.

At one point in the night she had felt hands on her hips. A foreign warmth at her back. She went rigid before pulling away, assuming whoever it was had just brushed too close to her passing by.

But when that warmth followed she knew it wasn't a mistake.

Ino was immediately on her, pulling Hinata's hand and forcing her to the middle of their group. She heard Ino say something, sharp in tone, harsh in only the way Ino could be.

"Take a hint dude, she doesn't want to dance with you."

"Why don't you let her speak for herself. Hey beautiful, what's your name?" She felt a separate tug at the arm that Ino wasn't holding. She turned but couldn't focus on the man standing in front of her. She was having a hard time focusing.

"I-I-"

"They said they don't want to dance. Why don't you go find another spot of the dance floor to stink up?" A different voice. Both she and Ino turned to find that Sasuke had pushed himself towards them from where he'd been hiding by the bar.

He was still scowling, but there was something more to the way he was regarding this man. A promise of something more sinister to his dark gaze as he pulled himself up to full height. Kiba was at his elbow, crossing his arms but not saying anything as the two men exchanged looks.

"Okay. I see how it is. Alright. Didn't mean any harm." The stranger held up his hands passively and started making his way away from the crowd.

Hinata felt herself swaying on her feet. Ino had let go of her and was talking to Kiba. More warmth at her back. Though this time less invasive of her space. She turned around and saw Sasuke had shifted himself closer to her. He leaned forward and spoke against her ear.

"I think you need some air." He said into her hair. She felt herself shiver, gaze never leaving his as he leaned back to look at her. She nodded.

And was distantly aware that he'd curled his hand around her wrist. That though his grip on her was firm enough not to lose her in the throngs of people, it was still much more gentle than she would have imagined. He led her out to the patio, the smell of cigarettes thick in the air as they found an empty table to lean on.

"You need water?" She shook her head. She didn't think so. She wasn't thirsty at least. He frowned at her. "I'll get you some water." Before she could protest he was gone and before she could try to follow he was back pushing a plastic cup into her hands.

"Thanks," she mumbled, taking a gulp and realizing that she _had_ actually been thirsty. He hummed but didn't say more as he leaned against the table, next to her. "I didn't expect you'd come out tonight." She said after a moment, hands grasping at the cool plastic. She brought the cup up to her forehead. She had been hotter that she'd thought.

Sasuke shifted slightly next to her. "I could say the same for you." He said a little more quietly.

On the outside patio, the blaring music was muffled by heavy brick walls. Most of the people who milled around were smoking. Someone laughed. It was calmer, almost like another world compared to just what was on the other side of the wooden doors separating the patio from the club.

Hinata felt herself shrugging. "I needed a break." She felt more than saw him nod beside her. He was standing so close.

"Same."

She pulled her hair from its tie, letting her damp tresses fall along her shoulders. She massaged her scalp for a moment and hummed in content before noticing that Sasuke was staring. She blushed, but continued to run her fingers through the strands to take out as many tangles as she could. "What?" She said, teeth around her hair band as she worked on making a neater pony tail.

He shifted again cutting his eyes away from her. She watched in fascination as he huffed. "You look nice tonight." He muttered and she stilled her movements before allowing her arms to come down back to her side in shock. Her hair tumbling back down her back and shoulders.

This night was not going in the direction she thought it would. She floundered for a moment before looking at Sasuke. _Really_ looking at him.

He dressed as he probably had for his own internship. One she knew from Sakura that had actually started the Monday just before their term was over. He looked sharp in a fitted suit, dark gray dress shirt untucked and unbuttoned slightly at the top, tie loosened to a sloppy knot around his neck. His hair was a messy, dark halo around his pail skin. Sharpened features regarding her just as intently as she was sure she was looking at him.

She wouldn't have imagined he'd thought she'd looked pretty. She had actually not given any thought to her looks once she'd taken that first shot from Kiba.

He reached out, placing cool fingers against the feverish skin of her face tracing down the curve of her cheek. She was frozen in place, maintaining more eye contact with Sasuke than she had in her life. Her heart hammered against her chest and she felt the telltale signs of butterflies swarming in her stomach. Her eyes flicked to his slightly parted lips as he inched closer to her and on instinct she tilted her head up and towards him.

His lips were warm. She gasped, mouth opening in her surprise and he slipped his tongue between her lips.

She could taste the alcohol on his lips. She wondered what he'd been drinking as she hadn't been paying close enough attention to him in her mission to dance the night away. She felt his hands at her waist as he tugged her closer and she shifted her body so that she was in front of him, leaning her weight against his chest. She moved her lips against his almost desperately as the not unfamiliar heat started pooling at her core.

Her body moved on instinct. Her legs parting so that she was essentially straddling one of his. He kept one hand at her lower back, fingers spread wide and pressing her a little more fully to him. He was solid beneath her and she sighed in contentment as his other hand came up to tangle itself in her hair. Her own hands trailed up his chest and up and around the back of his neck. She combed her fingers against the soft hair. He groaned into her mouth as her finger nails gently scraped on his scalp.

He broke from her mouth and he tilted her head back further with the hand tangled in her hair as he started trailing open mouthed kisses along her neck and down to her exposed collar bone. He came back up to her and was back at her lips. His mouth just as demanding as she had been.

Someone cleared their throat.

Hinata pulled herself away, she felt herself panting and Sasuke's chest rose and fell in the same rapid succession as hers did.

"Ah, good I found you. Ino got into a fight. We're leaving." Shikamaru said without batting an eye at she and Sasuke's current position.

The buzz that had worked it's way through Hinata's veins had come to an abrupt halt as she blinked at Shikamaru. Vaguely aware that she probably looked stupid as she gaped at their friend. Sasuke's hands fell from her waist and untangled from her hair. He took a measured step away from her and she thought he was going to stalk off but instead he turned back and held his hand out to her.

She moved robotically as she took his hand and then his arm as they followed Shikamaru back into the club to weave through the still dancing crowd. When they'd gotten to a particularly dense part of the building, Sasuke shifted his arm so that it snaked around her body again and pulled her close so that she wouldn't get swallowed by writhing bodies.

She felt the fresh air of the night just before Sasuke had pulled her through the doors. The night had cooled considerably from when they'd first arrived. Though it probably felt more like this since it had been much more humid, the air more stagnant, inside of the building they had just exited. Shikamaru continued ahead of them headed towards their small group at the street corner. She snuggled closer to his warmth and she cursed her lack of clothing and sweat damp skin but Sasuke didn't seem to mind her uncharacteristic closeness as he steered them closer to everyone.

Ino was leaning against Choji's shoulder. Mumbling sleepily about getting a slice of pizza. Kiba had his hands stuffed in his pockets, grinning from ear to ear about a girl who he'd gotten a number from as Shino nodded patiently at him. Sakura was in a similar position to Hinata's except she was standing next to Naruto. Naruto's arm was slung protectively over Sakura's shoulders and they were looking at each other like they were just about ready to take off to a dark corner to be alone.

Hinata hadn't realized she had stopped walking until Sasuke had nudged her with his hip. She looked up at him and realized her face still felt numb though her mind was surprisingly clear.

"I'm drunk." She said, tilting her head back and closing her eyes. Their friends' voices a distant murmur.

"I know." He said softly and smirked as she blinked up at him suddenly bleary eyed.

"So are you." He hummed at that.

"What makes you think so?"

"You taste like alcohol… And… I don't think you would have… uh… kissed me otherwise." She started tracing the shining buttons of his dress shirt with her fingers. He hummed again but pulled her flush against him. He put one hand under her chin and forced her to look up at him. His dark gaze was unwavering as he studied her before he chuckled.

"Well, _you_ are drunk. But I'm not. And how are you so sure I wouldn't kiss you otherwise?" His voice was a low growl but not with the bite he usually addressed them with. No annoyance or boredom to his tone as he kept his hand under her chin to keep her from ducking away from him.

"You taste like alcohol," she breathed, her own voice going low so that they wouldn't be overheard.

"One drink does not equal drunk, Hyuuga, I thought you would've known something like that." He was teasing but with his low cadence she didn't mind it so much. She splayed her hands against his chest and she leaned up slightly, brushing her lips against his a second time. This time more chaste as they did technically have an audience. He kept one arm around her waist and she knew it was mostly because she had started to sway in her high heeled shoes. The smell of his cologne intoxicating as she breathed him in and allowed her lips to mold fully to his. She whined when he pulled away from her, missing his warmth and soft skin more than she thought she was capable of. "But like I said. _You_ are drunk. If you're up for it we can talk about this later."

She would have argued but when he pulled away and allowed her to try to stand on her own she pitched to the left. If he hadn't been right next to her she would've taken a nasty fall. They made it to their friends in time to hear Shikamaru's reprimanding tone. "Look, next time we're letting you get into the fight on your own Ino. Also Choji isn't treating to drinks anymore. New rule."


	2. Sleepy Cuddles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...
> 
> Sometimes you're 25 and bored and don't feel like writing anything that you probably should be writing (i.e. unfinshed works in progress). This is set in my Larkspur universe. I just didn't feel like posting a full on chapter...
> 
> I asked Ink Child to pick from a list and she chose:

**_Sleepy_ _Cuddles_ **

Hinata was glad to have their Sunday schedules back in order.

She curled her legs underneath her and tugged on the sweater she was wearing so it came around closer to her body. The television was on. They were watching one of the housewives shows though how they settled on this she couldn't recall only that she had the remote in her hands and she'd gotten distracted from channel surfing when Sasuke shifted in his seat to come sit closer to her.

The closeness was new. But she couldn't find herself to mind. One of his arms was draped across the back of the couch and she was hyper aware of the warmth that radiated off of him.

Her throat felt dry and her tongue felt heavy in her mouth but she didn't want to get up from her spot and disturb the closeness. She wanted to preserve this moment in her memories as best as she could. The tips of his fingers brushed against her shoulder and she wished she could muster the courage to snuggle in closer to him so he could pull her closer to him.

She hoped he didn't mind that they'd settled on this channel. She hoped he wasn't bored out of his mind. He hadn't said anything in a while and she feared turning to see the boredom on his expression.

His weight shifted a little closer and Hinata fought the shiver that ran up her spine and through her scalp. Satisfying goosebumps spread across her skin and she allowed herself to savor the feeling as one of the women on screen was giving a confesion.

Very slowly she felt as he slowly started leaning closer towards her. His weight settling against her side and slowly pushing her down onto his couch. She gasped but couldn't bring herself to fight him as her head rested against the arm rest and her shoulder was pinned beneath her on the couch.

"S-Sasuke," her hands came up and she was about to ask him what he was doing when she felt it.

The soft puff of breath against the sensitive skin of her neck. The steady rise and fall of his back as he leaned against her in an awkward position.

She froze and blinked up at the ceiling.

Sasuke had fallen asleep. She shifted underneath him so that her shoulder wasn't digging into his sternum. He brought his arms around her and she felt the heat rush up to her face as he started to nuzzle his nose into her neck. He murmured sleepily as he settled more comfortable against her. Hinata brought a hand up and tangled her fingers into his hair.

' _Soft…'_

She turned her attention back to the television as she started running her fingers through his hair, essentially petting him. She may as well let him sleep.


	3. Day 1: Trampoline

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SasuHina Day 1: Trampoline
> 
> This is a drabble based off of Ink Child's wonderful story, Runaway. You can find that on ffn. I liked it to the original post of this on tumblr.

**_Trampoline: A Runaway Drabble_ **

The return of spring and warmer weather invited for a lot of time spent outside. The sun's gentle rays on cool skin and endless blue skies were enjoyed as days got longer in preparation for summer.

Sasuke was happy he could indulge his family's days and afternoons with running and playing in the well-kept backyard of the home he and Hinata had put together. He had gone to great lengths to ensure the children would always be safe and that Hinata could rest easy whenever they ventured outside to enjoy the weather.

So he was incredibly annoyed when one "uncle Kiba" had shown up one Saturday afternoon, unannounced and red faced from exertion of hauling a heavy box up their drive way. It was one thing to drop in, but to drop in with "gifts" had Sasuke reaching for the nearest sharp object to throw at his "friend."

One look at the colorful label on the box had Hinata's brow furrowed in worry, bottom lip pulled in between her teeth anxiously as the kids crowded around Kiba and the box.

"What is it?" Itachi had asked, coming from around Sasuke to get a closer look. Sasuke's plan of covering the box with his body before the boys could understand what was being offered to them wasn't working out as Naruto squealed in delight.

"A trampoline! It was on sale. I thought to myself, 'I know a couple of kids who could get some real use out of this.' So who wants to help set it up?"

Sasuke was about to interject with a stern "thanks but no thanks," but the kids were too fast. Naruto and Itachi were already clawing at the box, tearing at the cardboard viciously as Sora hovered just behind them, drawn downstairs from the commotion. Her mischievous grin a mirror image of her father's as she watched her younger brothers get to work.

Haku came and stood by Sasuke, watching with mild interest as the others started dragging the pieces of the rig towards the back door. The three of them shouting promises to come back and pick up the mess in a minute.

"This'll be interesting," Haku chuckled, trailing after them with his hands in his pockets.

Hinata ran a hand over her hair to smooth it. "You… really shouldn't have Kiba."

"That's putting it lightly. I hope for your sake the first emergency room visit is for a minor injury because I'm sending you the bill on that one." Sasuke bit, finally resigning himself to helping his children with putting together their new toy lest they do it wrong and it falls apart mid-use. Kiba had the audacity to beam at them.

"You guys worry too much, they'll be-"

A loud crash followed by a peel of laughter and angry shouting as an argument erupted outside cut him off. He frowned.

"First ER visit you said? I'll pay for the second one too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends.
> 
> Welcome to NewRageInc does SasuHina Month 2k17
> 
> My goal this year is to participate for every day. So the stories will range from short (like this) to long and connecting (like day 3 and a couple others). I'll give details in a note as needed.
> 
> Make sure to join the party if you can on tumblr. The tag? sasuhina month duh (: my drabbles/stories will likely be posted there first so if you'd like them earlier in the day feel free to stop by the good ol' blog. Same username.


	4. Day 2: Stress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SasuHina Month Day 2: Stress
> 
> A Larkspur drabble because I can never escape my flower son.

**Day 2: Stress**

It was official.

Sakura was the most high maintenance bride Hinata had ever worked with.

Then again, she usually always had that thought with her clients at least once while working with them.

Still.

Seven bridal boutiques and two emotional break downs later and Sakura had yet to narrow down her choices in, not only her wedding gown, but Hinata's maid of honor dress.

Hinata had almost cried in relief when she was released from her bridesmaid duties and then actually did cry in frustration when she was able to go through her neglected emails. She had taken great pride in her ability to prioritize and organize and get things done in a timely and efficient manner, but with Sakura's heavy demands of her not only as a client but as a friend, Hinata felt at her wits as the unread number of her inbox grew to be almost triple digits.

She squeezed her eyes shut, pressing the pads of her fingers up against her eye lids and counted to ten. She could recover from this. She could get through this. She just needed to buckle down tonight and get her workload under control.

Hinata sighed as she typed out yet another apology text message to Sasuke. This was the third date she'd have to cancel on to try to catch up but she just couldn't afford any time to herself despite how muddled her thoughts were becoming and the frequency of typos in her emails she'd let slip by.

Hinata had been diligently typing away at her laptop, keys clacking loudly in the silence of her office. Temari had long since gone for the day, leaving Hinata alone in to try to concentrate. She paused to massage her temples as she searched her memory for a certain seamstress one of her brides had asked about when she heard her phone buzz.

Sasuke.

" _Hey, let me in."_

She blinked a few times to try to clear her mind, then pulled her phone away to double check and make sure she had answered the call and hadn't imagined it. When she saw the phone still lit up with Sasuke's name and a picture Ino had taken of them at the shop, she shifted in her seat to crane her neck towards the front door of the office. Sasuke stood with one arm up against the door frame. He smirked.

Hinata brought the phone back to her ear as she stood to go towards the door. She paused when she stood in front of him, the glass of the door separating them but not moving to unlock it. Instead she quirked a brow at him, suddenly feeling playful.

"Can I help you, sir? I'm very busy." She said, gesturing to her desk and failing at keeping a stern expression on her face.

"I can see that, but I've come bearing gifts." He shrugged his shoulder, bringing to her attention a duffle bag balanced on it. She narrowed her eyes and contemplated drawing out this game further, but curiosity won out as she reached for the lock with one hand and ended the call with the other.

He slid into the room and dropped the bag at his feet. Hinata snaked her arms around his neck, tip toing only slightly and forcing him to lean forward so that she could reach him in a kiss. He hummed into her mouth as his arms circled around her and pulled her closer to him. His warm and solid form against hers causing her body to release all the tension of the day that Hinata hadn't realized she'd been holding on to. She pulled away only slightly from him and spoke against his lips.

"What'd you bring me?" He pressed one final kiss to her mouth before stooping further, arms still circled around her form, to grab the forgotten duffle.

"I know you've been busy so…" He shrugged and pressed the bag to her.

Hinata untangled her arms from his neck to take it from him and unzip it, still standing close enough that her forehead brushed against his nose.

"I thought I'd bring this by so you could at least… be comfortable."

She pulled out one of his shirts and a familiar pair of yoga pants. At the bottom of the bag she could hear the telltale clink of a bottle of what was likely to be wine. She hadn't been home in twelve hours. She had been in her stuffy slacks, blouse, and sweater all day long. She fought back tears after realizing how much it would mean to her to at least be able to change.

Hinata dropped the bag back on to the floor and grabbed Sasuke for another searing kiss. He chuckled against her skin.

"I also missed you so this was a nice excuse to come see you." She shoved him away halfheartedly before pressing her forehead against his neck.

"I love you too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on tumblr (same username) and come join the party


	5. Day 3: Road

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 3: Road
> 
> Soul mates au
> 
> Part I of III
> 
> Try to guess which days the other two parts are. Part II is obvious IMO.

 

**All Roads Lead to You Part I**

It was just before my ninth birthday.

I had overheard my parents discussing the possibilities of soul mates but I had never paid much attention to it. The phenomenon was not an uncommon occurrence but also not a guaranteed experience for most. I didn't think I'd fall into the smaller fraction that would have the pleasure of having a soul mate. Even with all the signs staring me in the face, I had a hard time believing that somewhere, out there, in the world was someone who would be the other half of me.

I started having a dream. Even now I can recall the details of that first dream vividly.

I would be standing on a narrow country road. Just wide enough for two cars to be going in the opposite direction of the other. Early on, there'd always be a dense fog around me, obscuring my view of my immediate surroundings aside from the dark pavement beneath my feet. I remember, distinctly, feeling the cool wisps of fogs around my fingertips as I walked down the road, the rustle of my clothes loud in the enveloping silence.

I should have probably felt some kind of fear.

The sun was out, or not out as it was heavily overcast, but the gray light around me suggested it was day time despite the fog. I felt no fear in this pocket of road. I only felt a sense of familiarity as I continued forward, navigating down the narrow road with a sense of purpose I did not know in my waking life. The wispy gray acted more like a blanket of calm than a blindfold because I didn't feel like it was blocking me from my ultimate destination. Now where I was walking to, I wasn't sure at the time.

When I would wake from these dreams I would still feel the calmness of the fog in the way my body seemed to have melded to my sheets, muscles loose and thoughts light like air as I slowly came to consciousness. I would usually take longer in waking up on those mornings, relishing in the heavy feeling of my limbs. When I finally would drag myself to the bathroom to brush my teeth, my reflection always looked clearer than it had the night prior.

I never told anyone about the dreams. Not right away at least. Even when they started increasing in frequency I didn't feel like it was worth mentioning to family or friends. Even when Naruto had started talking about his tree dreams, I kept my mouth shut.

In hindsight my lack of concern or even curiosity is laughable. My body seemed to know more than I did at the time.

I found myself taking longer moments studying crowds. Eyes taking in more details than I normally would have before the dreams, like I was looking for something. Or someone, rather, with how much time I spent focusing on faces, but it was like I had put up a mental block on what was going on.

Or maybe I didn't want to know what was going on.

As the years passed, the fog steadily began to lift, unveiling rolling hills to one side of the road and dense forest on the other. The hills are what I felt myself being drawn to. The tall grass shifting with the breeze as my pace began to quicken, a sudden sense of urgency replacing the calm.

On the night of my sixteenth birthday, my dream changed even more so.

In the distance I could see a farm house perched on one of the hills. My pulse quickened at the sight of it. My legs moved of their own accord as my focus zeroed in on the house.

This house.

This house was where I needed to be and my body wasn't moving fast enough for me. I felt frustrated and distantly aware that this was a dream so why couldn't I teleport to this house? I needed to be at this house. My heart thudded heavily against my chest and I could feel the blood coursing through my veins, buzzing as it pulsed by my ears in my efforts to reach this house.

The road curved at the bottom of a hill, branching off into two directions, one still paved and the other a dirt path that angled towards the front of the house. I didn't hesitate. My bare feet becoming dusty as I strode forward on the dirt road with the house becoming clearer with each step.

The house was larger than it seemed in the distance. Pale yellow paneling surrounded its walls, white trim neat and clean as though recently painted. The grass around the house, though yellow and dry, was short and kept free of weeds. I started to slow and found myself searching the windows of the house as I drew nearer, as though the answer to my whole life were just beyond those walls.

The fog had broken, after all these years of walking down this road in a gray haze it was startling to see the vast azure of the sky laid out as the backdrop to this house. The sun was hot against the nape of my neck and my legs stopped just as the screen door slammed open.

Standing in the threshold, arm still extended from pushing the door open, was a girl. Her eyes were open as wide as they could as she took in her surroundings before she noticed me. My heart stuttered in my chest.

She was unlike anyone I had ever seen before. Her hair was straight and long, shimmering as it fell around her shoulders and down to her waist. Her skin was pale and looked smooth as porcelain. Her eyes were also impossibly pale and so big and round I wasn't sure I was looking at a real person but maybe a life size doll. She was staring at me, her mouth opening and closing a few times as she took me in.

"Hi…" I said, feeling suddenly self-conscious of my lack of shoes and how out of breath I was from my hike. The sound of my voice seemed to break her out of her trance.

"You're finally here."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to join the party in the sasuhina tag on tumblr as sasuhina month continues 
> 
> (: blog is under newrageinc (lol what else?)


	6. Day 4: Lawyers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SasuHina Month Day 4: Lawyers
> 
> Part I of a long, connected high school AU
> 
> Basically whenever I didn't know what to do with a prompt I shoved it in this. Creative, right?

**Day 4: Lawyers**

Of all the useless things the authority figures at school made he and his peers go through "career Day" had to be in the top three. Right next to spirt assemblies and standardized tests.

One day a year, for his career development class, they would be charged with following around a member of their family to fill out a work sheet on what said family member did for a living. It would make more sense, in Sasuke's humble opinion, if they tagged along with people who were  _not_  a part of their households because he already knew what his family did. He lived with them. They talked about work. It was technically  _always_  career day when he got home from school.

Maybe they didn't because of a liability issue?

Even so, he was very much aware of what his parents did for a living and knew with absolute certainty that he didn't want any part of  _that_. Honestly if it weren't for his grade point average and being in such close competition with Sakura and Shikamaru for the valedictorian spot (albeit being about two and a half years away from graduation), Sasuke would have skipped out entirely. Instead he found himself in his brother's stuffy office, a Styrofoam cup filled with bitter tasting coffee gripped in one hand and the other clicking a pen with increasing frequency as he glared at the Career Day worksheet he was supposed to be filling out.

"I don't think I've ever seen a fifteen year old ask for black coffee. Then again, I don't think I've ever seen a fifteen year old glare at a piece of paper like it was the source of cancer either." Deidara, Itachi's assistant, said with a patronizing smile directed in Sasuke's direction.

"Don't tease him Deidara. He's obviously already in a bad mood and I  _do_  have to live with him." Itachi mirrored Deidara's smile but did not look up from his computer. Deidara shrugged, sliding some manila folders towards Itachi before turning on his heel to leave the room.

Once the door was closed Itachi stopped his typing to address his brother. "I know you don't want to be here but at least you don't have to hang around dad's office at the station a second year in a row." Sasuke wrinkled his nose at the memory of the police station and the unpleasant stench that had permeated the walls and clung to anything that entered the building. He had had to wash his sweatshirt four times before he could wear it again after that. "I'm sorry I won't be able to show you around like I said I would. I'll make it up to you."

Sasuke shrugged. He had only sort of been looking forward to getting a closer look around the office. The Hyuuga building was the biggest and nicest building in town but, other than the curiosity, he wasn't really all too upset about being left to his own devices today.

Itachi had come in to an email advising of an emergency meeting regarding an important client to the firm. Because of that and the nature of what needed to be discussed, Sasuke would not be allowed into the meeting with Itachi. Even though traditionally Sasuke was supposed to shadow his brother during a normal work day.

Instead, Sasuke was to spend the day in Itachi's office. He would have to finish his worksheet with information found via the handy dandy tool that was the internet and probably play on his phone for the rest of the day.

"Try to stay out of trouble." Itachi threw over his shoulder as he strode out of the room, laptop under his arm.

Sasuke looked after his brother for a few moments, shifting in his seat and continuing in his clicking. He put the pen against his mouth. Then he started alternating between clicking the pen and tapping the end of it on the blank work sheet in front of him. He spread out on the leather couch, sliding down in an uncomfortable slouch. Then he forwent sitting and laid down length wise, couch squeaking beneath him as he moved. He held the worksheet up against a binder in front of his face and tried to focus on reading the first question. The binder slipped out of his grasp and landed on his face with a soft thud.

He let his hands dangle limply at his sides and huffed, the movement of his face making his binder slide off of him and tumble down to the floor with a flutter of loose leaf paper. He counted the ceiling tiles and tried to match his breathing with the spinning of the fan above.

After ten minutes of "staying out of trouble," Sasuke gave up. He pushed himself from the couch and grabbed his ear buds out of his pocket, shoving them into each ear as he left the room.

* * *

Hinata loved career day.

She  _lived_  for career day.

Last year, when she had been signing up for classes her first question to her guidance counselor had been, "which class do I need to be in to participate in career day?" At fourteen, she must have looked funny to the silver haired man who was helping her set up her freshman year of high school, so focused on this one class as she was. But she didn't care.

Her first year shadowing her cousin had been everything and ten times more than what she was hoping for. She had had such high hopes for this year, taking extra care in her outfit and appearing clean cut for Neji and her father's peers. She was looking forward to spending time in Neji's office, picking out some of her favorite of his heavy, leather bound law books and squinting at the small print while he reviewed cases. The Law Offices of Hyuuga and Hyuuga was one of her favorite places to be, to be able to spend an entire day there instead of at school was what Hinata had been looking forward to since  _last_  year's Career Day came to a close.

She couldn't help being disappointed when Neji had announced from his desk that he was being called into a meeting for the majority of the day that she would not be able to attend. She was currently pouting at her blank notebook, lamenting the fact that she wouldn't be able to fill these pages with her observations of the day. She pushed her bottom lip out further when she heard Neji chuckling from across the room.

"I'm sorry Hinata. You already know enough about my day-to-day here so you should be able to complete the assignment fine." Neji attempted to placate her as he started gathering up his documents and laptop to take with him to the meeting.

"That's not the point," she whined, slouching further into his couch and blinking back tears. She  _really_  wanted to go. "Are you  _sure_  I'm not allowed to go with you?"

Neji hummed, patting her head fondly as he passed before moving towards the door. "I'm positive. Your father was actually very specific. I'll be back in time to take us home in the afternoon." He paused at the threshold, narrowing his eyes at his cousin. "Don't stay cooped up in here reading law books, Hinata."

"I wasn't-"

"You're a terrible liar, Hinata. You need to work on that. Take a break. I mean it." Neji closed the door behind him.

Hinata pursed her lips. She had already been planning on which of his book she was going to try reading today. But she was sure she'd upset her cousin and earn a lecture on "enjoying her youth" if she ignored him. She studied the door a few moments longer before making her decision.

She grabbed her phone from the coffee table and hooked up her earbuds.

She would take a quick walk to the vending machine, grab a snack, and come back. That counted as a break, right?

She was trying to decide on a streaming station when she rounded a corner too tightly before walking into someone with so much force she was knocked backward and off balance. Hinata fell on her butt hard, phone clattering against the cool tile having been knocked out of her hands. She felt her face heat up as embarrassment set in and she  _knew_  she'd be hearing about this from her father today and he'd probably take her phone away because of it. She lifted her face, mouth open mid apology when she noticed just  _who_  she'd run into.

A boy.

A boy she  _knew_.

Sasuke Uchiha loomed over her, frowning down at her as she sat on the floor. Of course, of course, of course he'd be here too! His brother had just gotten hired. Of all the dumb luck. She felt like her face was on fire and she should move, move,  _move_  but her body remained where it was, still gaping up at him in shock. His frowned deepened.

"You okay there Hyuuga?" He offered her a hand that she accepted robotically but she was still dumbstruck.

"Y-you… What're you doing here, Sasuke?" She heard herself saying, words slipping off her tongue as he helped heave her upright.

"… Career day. My brother works here." He let go of her hand once she was steady on her feet and stuffed his hands into his pockets. His earbuds were still blaring music where the hung from his t-shirt.

Today just kept getting better.

First she can't shadow Neji like how she had planned. Then she was judged for how she spends her free time by her cousin who isn't one to talk mister "I make computer programs in my spare time." Now she's running into Sasuke  _Uchiha_. The only other boy in school who had the privilege of calling  _him_  their best friend.

She hummed, shuffling her feet and pushing her hair behind her ear feeling suddenly self-conscious of her appearance.

Her father had drilled into she and her sister that if they were to step foot into the firm they were to appear professional. Hiashi had said appearances were everything and if they were going to be presenting themselves not only to their colleagues but to their clientele, then they were going to look good. Itachi appeared to have not cared so much. Sasuke, in contrast to her pressed slacks and smart blouse, was wearing what he probably would have worn to school: dark wash jeans, a navy t-shirt, and dark sneakers that had seen better days. His hair was its usual mop, framing his features in a way that had half of the girls at school offering him their number. Hinata felt silly and stuffy standing next to him. At least she had already abandoned her jacket in Neji's office before venturing out.

"Shouldn't you be at your cousin's hip or something?" He asked flippantly, quirking a brow at her.

"W-what?" She was flabbergasted. Sasuke snorted.

"It's not a secret you're obsessed with following him around and hell bent on being a lawyer like everyone else in your family. You're kind of a suck up about it." Sasuke drawled. Hinata spluttered.

She knew Sasuke could be direct but this was ridiculous!

"T-that's a very rude thing to say!" She finally spit. He looked unimpressed with her observation. She huffed. "He got pulled away… to a meeting." She could feel her lips pulling into a pout again with the meeting brought up.

Sasuke scoffed, taking his hands out of his pockets and grabbing her arm. He started pulling her none too gently behind him. "You need to lighten up, Hyuuga."

"Where are we going?"

"To the roof."

* * *

He had forgotten the Hyuuga heiress lived for Career Day. Hinata had been relentlessly focused on following in the path carved out by generations of Hyuuga before her since she'd first stepped foot in their kindergarten class room. The law firm had her name on it. And he saw her in class yesterday. It really shouldn't have surprised him as much as it did that she was there.

Then again, Hinata blended into the background easily and seemed like she'd made an effort not to draw any extra attention to her at school when she could help it.

Well… except that one time.

"I'm not sure we're allowed up on the roof, S-Sasuke." She was already panting, the low heal of her flats clicking double time against the tile to keep up with his longer stride. He scoffed, not slowing down.

"Well good thing we're not asking for permission." She huff in annoyance but didn't stop following. He led her to an elevator and pushed the call button a few times before turning around and crossing his arms in front of his chest. He took a moment to look at her from top to bottom.

Hinata had been in the majority of his classes for the better part of their short lives. Her grades were always just below his so, for balance's sake, their teachers often grouped them apart from each other so he'd never gotten the chance to get to know her at school and hadn't bothered to on his own. Hinata was well known for being quiet and keeping to herself. Most of their peers were unaware of her existence up until that confession the week before classes had let out for break at the end of their freshman year.

She'd been so worked up about it then. She still looked pretty worked up now, if he were being honest, based off of her reaction at bumping into him.

She had dressed for the day, he noted. She looked so clean cut and probably could have passed for one of the other professionals in the building if it weren't for how she carried herself. Her posture drawn inward towards herself emphasized her youth and lack of experience in the corporate setting. No, her self-doubt rolled off of her in waves and, though dressed for the part, definitely seemed out of place in the granite covered walls of this firm.

The elevator pinged, causing Hinata to jump. She looked around the hall, eyes wide as saucers, like she was waiting for security to come running to stop them. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"You coming?" He grunted over his shoulder. She yelped but followed never the less.

He sucked his teeth at her. "Do you  _ever_  not just do what you're told?" She snapped her head around to gape at him, mouth falling open at his words, her face turning an uncomfortable shade of red. Sasuke was trying to decide if she was blushing out of anger or embarrassment when she finally spoke.

"I don't… I-I'm not- Are you ever not crabby?" She bit, albeit a bit lamely. She shuffled in her spot before continuing more quietly. "I want to see the roof." She spoke almost in a whisper. "I've never been allowed."

He hummed.

"I'm not crabby." He said after a second. He knew there was some merit to the accusation but he couldn't let her get the last word on that. The elevator doors slid open and he started forward without waiting. Hinata was right at his heels. "If I'm crabby," he continued, reaching the stairwell to begin their ascent taking the steps two at a time. "Then you're uptight."

Hinata was breathing hard again in trying to keep up with him. He heard her growl under her breath and he had to stifle a laugh. Sasuke was getting way too much satisfaction from getting under her skin. Her responses were the sprinkles on top.

"I am not u-up tight!"

They had made it to the last landing and were facing the door that was marked "roof access." Hinata leaned against the far wall, chest straining against her blouse as she tried to catch her breath. Sasuke scoffed.

"Says the girl who, not ten minutes ago, was asking about permission to go on the roof." She lifted her head and aimed him a startling glare. He raised his brows at her, waiting for her response.

"I don't understand why so many people like you. Kiba is right, you're k-kind of an ass."

Sasuke blinked a few times, all thoughts coming to a halt as he registered Hinata's words. Her panting had slowed but she was still breathing through her mouth. Her forehead was shiny with a fine layer of sweat and her hair was starting to frizz around her face. She was still glaring at him, pale eyes sharper than he had remembered them being.

He barked out a laugh.

"You're something else Hyuuga." He snorted. "If you're really not uptight, then please," he gestured towards the door. "Ladies first."

Hinata pushed herself upright, squaring her shoulders as she straightened. Maintaining eye contact, she kept her chin up as she started towards the door. Even though she seemed resolute, he noticed that her hands trembled when she reached up to smooth her hair down against her head. This didn't stop her from taking on an air as she reached for the door with all the haughty arrogance he would have expected from a Hyuuga.

With a small twist to her lips, she used her weight to force the door open.

Her smirk was immediately replaced with a grimace as an ear piercing wail filled the building. Then her face morphed into an expression of wide eyed panic. Sasuke swore under his breath, moving passed Hinata to pull the door shut with a resonating slam but the alarm continued to blare on in a relentless assault on their ear drums.

"Run!" He grabbed her arm and started pulling her after him. Dashing towards the stairwell at a pace, once again, too fast for Hinata to keep up easily.

* * *

"You know, I really don't get you. You two could have gotten into serious trouble."

Sasuke shrugged.

"I don't see what the big deal is. It's their building anyway."

Itachi sighed, pressing the palms of his hands against his temples.

Sasuke and Hinata had been intercepted at the elevators and promptly turned over to their respective wardens. He had felt bad when haw saw Hinata, with her head lowered, body shaking with the effort of trying (and failing) to hold back her tears. The image of her trembling form, tears dripping from her chin as she received a quiet scolding from her cousin was forever burned into his mind.

"That's not the point. No one is allowed up there for a reason, what if you two had gotten stuck? There's no cell reception up there and we had no idea where you two were." Itachi took his hands from his face to give Sasuke a stern look. "It's one thing for you to act up, Sasuke, but you also dragged poor Hinata up there with you. I've told you how strict they are with them."

Sasuke pressed his lips together.

Hinata had always been quiet. He had chalked up her ability to fade into the background to her eternal shyness. He never thought it may be to avoid conflict and punishment.

He didn't know her situation, never tried to understand it or her, and the guilt of what had happened was a weight that was settling against the pit of his stomach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can join me and my shenanigans (and the party we've been having) on tumblr.
> 
> I go by newrageinc (again, super creative of me yes?)


	7. Day 5: Kleptomaniac

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SasuHina Month Day 5
> 
> Kleptomaniac 
> 
> Part II of high school AU
> 
> Admittedly the day five prompt isn't mentioned much but will come up some more during tomorrow's drabble. The prompt for day 6 is library.

**Part II of High School AU**

"I heard you had an interesting day at the office the other day, Hinata."

Hinata bit back a groan and sank lower onto her desk. Ino leaned towards her, blond hair falling over her shoulder and pooling at her lap. Her smirk apparent from the song on her voice, though Hinata didn't dare turn her way in fear of giving away her embarrassment by the blush that was surely sprouting across her face.

She had done her best at avoiding the topic of last weeks' career day. She had turned her report in quietly and averted her eyes when Iruka had asked for volunteers to share their experiences.

Neji had delivered a gentle scoldings all the way to her father's office where he'd let the older man take over. Hiashia Hyuuga had never been one for many words. Conversations with her father had always been short and to the point. This conversation was just the same as the others.

" _I expect better from you in front of our clients, Hinata."_

The simple reprimand had almost been enough to break her completely, though she failed at keeping her tears at bay, she had been stifling her sobs and sniffling. She would have sobbed freely then if she weren't so determined to avoid a second lecture on keeping her emotions in control. She knew with her tears alone she was walking a thin line on receiving that. She had merely nodded numbly and done her best at maintaining what was left of her composure until she was able to escape to her room.

She had thought Sasuke wasn't the type to gossip and had been fairly certain she'd be free of the topic coming up again until Ino had brought it up.

"I didn't think it was worth mentioning," she grumbled into her notebook, doodling a flower in the margin.

"Don't be like that Hinata! Spending the whole day with the school's hottest boy-" Ino stopped short and a strangled noise escaped her mouth. Hinata scrunched her face, wrinkling her nose as she glanced up at the door already knowing who she'd see.

Naruto came through the threshold with Sasuke at his shoulder. They appeared to be in a heated discussion, not an uncommon sight, especially with Sakura bringing up the rear mid eye roll. The two had been thick as thieves since middle school and Hinata stomped down the wave of jealously that threatened to boil over as they made their way to the desks in front of her and Ino. Naruto took his usual place right in front of Hinata, swiveling around as soon as his butt touched the seat to lean an elbow on her desk.

Even after she'd made a fool of herself last May he still made it a point to be friendly to her.

"Hey, Hinata, why didn't either of you tell us you'd be doing career day together with Sasuke? I would've wanted to go too!" Sasuke heaved a sigh but didn't bother turning around from his place in front of Sakura. He leaned his elbow on his desk and perched his head on his palm.

"I already told you, stupid, we didn't plan it."

Sakura rolled her eyes again and jabbed her pen into Sasuke's shoulder. "Okay, we got that," she pointed her pen at Naruto as he was about to interrupt, effectively stopping him before he could speak. "What  _I'm_  getting it is why didn't either of you bring it up after? It's been over a week." She raised her eyebrows expectantly at the pair, turning her head back and forth, alternating her look between Hinata and the back of Sasuke's head. Hinata slid herself further down her desk, continuing her idle doodling.

When they both didn't respond, Sakura hummed thoughtfully. She shifted her body around to sit correctly when Shizune started calling the class to attention. Ino shifted as well, snickering into her hand as she went. "The way you two are acting," she said in a stage whisper, "it's almost like you're hiding something. What'd you guys do? Make out in the break room?"

There was a resonating snap as Sasuke broke the pencil in his hand and Hinata flailed in her seat. She felt like her face was on fire as she rounded on Ino.

"Ino, please!"

"It's  _none_  of your business."

The room had gone silent.

Sasuke had jumped up from his seat and was glaring at Ino, broken pencil still gripped in his fist. Hinata pressed her lips together.

"Are you three done? Is it okay for me to start the class? Or should I ask the head master their opinion?"

The group muttered an apology and settled in for class. Hinata didn't miss the knowing look Sakura shot over her shoulder at Ino before dutifully flipping through her notes.

What the two girls thought they knew, Hinata couldn't say.

When people had first started asking her how her day with Sasuke had been she was quick to think he must have shared this information freely and it started going around. She should have figured that wouldn't have actually been the case. Sasuke hardly exchanged words with anyone aside from Naruto and Sakura. The three of them had a rare connection and were very tight knit so if he'd shared anything with them it would've stayed in their group. Based off of Sakura's statement, it did seem as though they hadn't learned about their adventure through him and he'd kept it to himself.

So… How did everyone find out?

And why  _hadn't_  he told his two closest friends? If nothing else it made for an interesting story…

Hinata knew why  _she_ had kept the secret. She hated getting into trouble and the less she had to relive that moment in her life the better. Not only that, but she had also said some nasty things to Sasuke and she'd spent a lot of time in the last week dissecting their interactions and coming up with better ways to handle the situation.

"So it's that time again." The class's collective groan drew Hinata from her thoughts. She lifted her face from where she had cradled it on her arm.

Shizune stood at the front of the class with two boxes in her hands that appeared to be filled with slips of paper. She grinned as she shook the boxes, paper rattling in the quiet of the class. "It's midterm project time. I'm tired of logical partnerships." The class perked up at that, hopeful that she'd allow them the freedom of choosing their own partners. Shizune's grin turned wicked. "So I've decided to make it interesting. In my left hand is a box of everyone's names. I'll pick the first name and that person will draw for their partner. Then you'll pull from the box in my right hand, which has project topics."

She stepped up to the first row and placed the topic box on Kiba's desk. She gave the name box a good shake before reaching in and digging out the first name. Her face lit up as she read the name aloud.

"Well, well, well Uchiha, looks like it's your lucky day. You get first pick of partners and topics."

Hinata watched as Sasuke's shoulders rose and fell in an inaudible sigh. Shizune come over and presented him with the name box, shaking it as she went. He kept his chin perched on the palm of his hand and used his free hand to reach for a name.

Hinata felt the whole class hold their breath. Sasuke was known for being grouchy on most days and aloof on better ones. He was hard to work with in group projects unless Naruto and Sakura were around to keep him in check (this she knew only from second hand accounts).

"Hyuuga," Hinata cringed at the gruff way Sasuke spoke her name.

"Excellent! A true power couple." Shizune's grin never faltered despite Sasuke's impassive face and Hinata's lack of reaction. "In the name of fairness and equality, care to draw the topic, Hinata?" Hinata took a shaky breath before nodding and standing from her seat. She pulled a paper from the box.

"Kleptomania," she read out loud, voice tentative as she wasn't sure if this was what she should have done. She shuffled back into her seat and covered her face with her hands.

' _It would just be my luck'_

* * *

The room busied themselves, desks scraping against the tiled floor as everyone rearranged themselves to sit with their partners to brainstorm ideas.

Hinata had made it a point of keeping herself as far as she could from Sasuke despite the proximity of their desks. She had kept her gaze on the outline and grading rubric Shizune had passed out and Sasuke felt his palms begin to sweat at his discomfort.

He still hadn't been able to get the image of her crying out of his mind. He'd spent most of last week thinking about Hinata. About all the things he knew about her.

And all the things he didn't.

They'd been going to the same schools and sharing the same classes since they were toddlers. He'd watched her present school projects. Seen her during lunch breaks. Shared general space with her when commuting from class to class. They had even attended some of the same parties.

But to sit down and try to tell someone that he  _knew_  Hinata Hyuuga would have made him a bold faced liar.

The fact that he did not know Hinata had never bothered him. He had always been fine with assigning her the role of background character to his life. He had been fine with putting her in the category of stuck up and snobbish and also sort of a suck up if she ever did cross his thoughts.

She had confused him that day.

Career day had been the most he'd ever interacted with her and she had confused him with her responses and quips.

With her tears…

They forced Sasuke to realize that no, he did not know Hinata and yes, this did actually bother him.

What was further confusing was her distance. She'd obviously been put off by him and their impromptu misadventure to the roof as she'd continued on as business as usual when they went back to school on Wednesday. She avoided all eye contact with him and did not volunteer to talk about her day shadowing her cousin, though last year she been one of the first to volunteer.

Judging from the way she was keeping her distance from him he was pretty sure Hinata wanted to be anywhere but sitting next to him at this moment. This thought upset him more than he was willing to admit.

"Did you want to do the presentation or write the paper?" She asked, body shaking slightly from the effort of holding herself as far as she could from him in her seat without falling out of it. She was only just audible above the cacophony of their peers around them.

"No preference." She hummed and shifted in her seat, hair falling from where she'd previously twisted it on to her shoulder and down her back in shimmering waves. He knew she'd only grown it longer after they'd gone to middle school. That decision probably had to do with the blond whose head was currently bent close to his own partner just behind them, he and Sakura somehow miraculously getting paired up. Why she kept it this way after what had happened last May he couldn't begin to guess.

"W-would it be okay if we did the paper then?" She was pulling at the sleeves of her hoodie. She fidgeted a lot, he was coming to find. She continued to squirm in her seat, a rosy blush crawling across her features as she chewed on her bottom lip. "Ah, is there… something on my face?"

Sasuke blinked, realizing only then that he'd been staring. Hinata had put her sleeve covered hand up to her mouth and was watching him out of the corner of her eye.

"No. Sorry. I was just thinking." He took the assignment from in front of her and read over the paper's requirements. Hinata usually avoided presentations so he wasn't surprised she'd take that option despite the paper being more work. "The paper is fine."

A silence settled over them. Uncomfortable as the murmurs of the class continued around them. Hinata toyed with the corner of some notebook paper. He sighed. "Listen, about last week…" Her body visibly stiffened. Her reaction threw him off guard but he continued, voice remaining low to avoid eavesdroppers. "I'm sorry people found out about it. I think one of Iruka's aids had let it slip since they graded our papers. I know it didn't seem like you wanted anyone to know we were together."

Hinata finally turned her face to look at him, blush subsiding slightly. He'd never noticed how pretty her eyes could look, dark lashes contrasting sharply against the paleness not only of her irises but of her skin. He cleared his throat as she continued to watch him.

"It's not that I don't want people to know we were there together," she spoke quietly, voice a gentle caress. She licked her lips. "I just… I really don't like getting in trouble and I'd really rather forget it happened at all…" She ducked her head, cutting her eyes back to the notes in front of her. "I also said some things that I-I may have regretted… after the fact."

He felt his brows raise. He wasn't sure what he was expecting but some type of half apology was not one of them. Hinata seemed to be full of surprises.

"Well I wasn't the nicest." She snorted, a soft sound that came from the back of her throat.

"It was… a day. I'd just really rather not talk about it." He hummed and watched as she started flipping through her notes, likely looking for the section where they'd covered impulse control disorders.

"I did want to say, before we move on from it, that I am sorry. I didn't think you'd get in trouble… like that." Her face fell slightly, hands stilling before coming down to rest on her lap. Her fingers dug into the rough fabric of her jeans for a second before she spoke.

"I appreciate that… Sasuke. But please…" He grunted, pulling out his own notes so that they could start on their outline and create an action plan.

Both of them were unaware of the curious looks they got from the groups behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to join the fun on tumblr.
> 
> I go by newrageinc.


	8. Day 6: Library

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SasuHina Month Day 6: Library
> 
> I lied. Kleptomania doesn't come up on here. Right now there are nine parts to the high school AU with no defined ending.

**Day 6: Library**

He hadn't stopped looking at her.

They had been in the library for going on thirty minutes and his eyes had been trained solely on Hinata this entire time.

And she couldn't, for the life of her figure out  _why._

"Do you think it'd be okay if we used real life examples?"

"What?" She heard Naruto huff behind her.

She, herself, hadn't been able to keep from watching Hinata and Sasuke from around the corner of a book shelf since they had all gotten situated to work on their projects. Sakura had grabbed the first book she could and used it to hide half of her face as she craned her neck to see what was going on.

"Sakura, I need you to focus. I totally bombed our last psyche test and I can't afford to get a shitty grade on this midterm project." Naruto whined, pulling the book from her hands to see what she was looking at. She ducked her head at his frown. "This doesn't have anything to do with psychology, much less borderline personality disorder. Sakura what gives?"

"I'm sorry Naruto it's just… Sasuke." Naruto's frowned deepened, shifting his head to look for Sasuke.

Sasuke was across the room, chair pulled up next to Hinata's. They were looking at a computer screen together, heads bent close to read the text on the screen.

"Is there something wrong?" Sakura hummed.

"No. Just watch."

Sakura hardly ever lost focus when it came to work, so he was curious to see what had her so distracted that concerned one of their closest friends. He squinted at the pair and paid closer attention to them.

Sasuke's chair was pulled up as close as it would go, the legs of his chair sitting right up against Hinata's. One of his arms was draped over the back of her chair, hand gripping the back as he leaned his body close to share the computer screen. Hinata seemed at ease, despite Sasuke's proximity, as she turned her face slightly to address him. Both of their expressions were of upmost concentration to whatever it was they were working on.

But he could see what Sakura was talking about.

"They look like they're working well together." He murmured, their own project momentarily forgotten at the realization.

Sasuke had a reputation of being a loaner before he and Sakura came along. If it weren't for the circumstances that had grouped the three of them together going on four years prior, he would  _still_  be a loaner.

Now that he had a couple of friends didn't change the fact that he didn't work well with others. Not that he wasn't capable of it, it's just that he didn't particularly respect anyone else enough to put any effort in interacting with them.

So this was a surprising turn of events considering Sasuke and Hinata had never exchanged even a passing greeting to one another in all the years he'd known them.

At least, as far as Naruto was aware of.

He watched Sakura out of the corner of his eye. Her brows had furrowed and she had started worrying her bottom lip. His chest felt an awful pang at the sight.

A soft giggle filled the room, drawing his eyes back towards the pair they had been spying on. Hinata had her hand covering her mouth, head ducked down to hide her laughter. Sasuke leaned closer towards her, smirk evident even from where Naruto stood. One of their other class mates shushed them.

He didn't think he'd ever seen Sasuke look at anyone like that aside from himself. He felt his own lips turn upwards in a smile. "Is it… really so bad? To see him like this."

Sakura sighed. He shifted so that they were facing one another. She wouldn't meet his eye, instead she focused on toeing a fray in the gray carpet that lined the library floors. Naruto didn't move and when she realized he was expecting a response she sighed again, shoulders drooping slightly as she tilted her head in their direction.

"No. I guess it's not."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short. But I was busier today than expected so change of plans. For more details I usually tag writing related things on tumblr as beckysdownwardspiral. My tumblr is the same username (newrageinc).


	9. Day 7: In-Laws

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SasuHina Month Day 7: In-Laws
> 
> A Larkspur drabble.

**Day 7: In-Laws**

Spring had snuck up on them.

The biting cold of the days was giving way to warmer afternoons. The sun covering the earth in a warm blanket. Coaxing the soil back to life after months of slumber.

The anniversary of his mother's death had come and gone without any fanfare. He had shown up a week after, having been caught up with projects for the shop on the actual day. The sun peaked over the eastern horizon, day breaking steadily as he and Hinata made their way from his car to his mother's grave site. Their shoes making soft squishing sounds as they tread over the damp grass, covered in dew from the previous night.

He had brought his mother a simple bouquet of larkspur, one that Hinata said resembled one she had gotten from his mother the first time she had walked into the shop.

Hinata's warmth was a comforting reminder of her presence as they stood before the shining granite of his mother's tombstone. He noted the lack of flowers and pushed thoughts of his father out of his mind. Hinata twined her fingers with his and leaned into his shoulder. His grip tightened on hers and he thought again of how he couldn't begin to imagine going through the last year without her. He hoped she knew how much she meant to him at this moment as he wasn't sure he'd be able to say anything without choking up.

She squeezed his back, a silent affirmation of her understanding and allowing him the strength to speak.

"I'm sorry she didn't have the pleasure of introducing us." He tilted his head to press a kiss to her temple. "She would have loved to tease me about you…"

Hinata hummed and a comfortable silence settled over them. The steady chirping of mockingbirds was the morning song of the day and he made a mental note to come stop by more often. To make more time to reflect on his mother.

"I'm going to share something," Hinata began, eyes trained on the carved stone before them. "But you have to promise not to laugh."

Sasuke untangled himself from her so he could turn and watch her face. In the time he'd gotten to know her, he found that Hinata was exceptionally good at masking her emotions. She had to be past the breaking point for anything to show on her expression.

Her face was carefully blank now which didn't surprise him. She stayed silent and he realized she was actually looking for a response from him. "I promise." He said as solemnly as he could. She squared her shoulders.

"I think that, in a way she did introduce us." She bit her lip, not out of nervousness, but in an attempt to hide a growing smile. "I also think she got you to hire Ino so that Ino could tease us on your mother's behalf."

Sasuke groaned, pulling her back to him and muffling her giggles in a tight embrace. "She would." He spoke against the crown of her head and he relished the warmth of her body and the softness of her hair against the sensitive skin of his face. Hinata nuzzled her nose against his chest.

The sun had steadily risen, the brightening light around them signaling that they'd have to leave soon. They couldn't reminisce on the dead forever. Life had to go on. His grip on her tightened and he swallowed thickly.

"Thank you, Hinata."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From my flower shop au. That exists. It's around here somewhere.


	10. Day 8: Drawing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SasuHina Month 2k17 
> 
> Day 8: Drawing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an unfinished 1/3 of a thought. It’s raw as all heck and I’m posting it because I’m so done. I don’t think I’ve ever hated a single word more in my whole life. I admit defeat. Writing every day is hard *whiny voice* but I'm committed so here's this anyway.

**Day 8: Drawing**

Sasuke was star struck.

A marked improvement from his prior mood of irritated. Who made the curriculum for art students? How did a faculty come together to decide what he'd need to know to be a successful artist? Who made them the boss? Other scholarly institutions?

It was all a scam.

Why was he even going to school anyway?

He should be out experiencing the world. He should be putting paint brush to canvas and getting firsthand accounts of big time rejection. He should be hunting down his next commission and fighting for publication and exposure.

Not hunting for a peer to model for a final project.

Sasuke had been stomping up and down campus, all but snarling at other students as he started his search. He had taken a different way out of the fine arts building than his normal route when he had stopped short, breath catching at the sight before him.

He probably should have started his search here instead of circling around campus before doubling back. It probably would have saved him some time as well as lessened the blow to his reputation as "calm."

Hindsight was 20/20.

Sasuke generally avoided this side of the fine arts building. Something about watching people traipse around in tight fitted leotards and that  _different_  type of arrogance that dancers seemed carry themselves with had put him off of walking through. Even if their courtyard had the prettiest afternoon light and biggest trees and nicest marble benches.

He really should have just started here.

The courtyard was strewn with students, all of them wearing some type of dance attire as they hung around in small groups. Some were stretching out, long limbs reaching as far as they could go and others were practicing pieces of choreography.

Like the pair that was tucked away at the far side, a large oak tree partially obscuring them form view. Sasuke probably wouldn't have noticed them if they hadn't been in the middle of a complicated lift.

The girl had her hair loose and it moved around her in a secondary dance, dark as midnight and catching the light in just a way that reminded Sasuke of stars in the night sky. She twirled around her partner effortlessly, her movements the epitome of grace. Her limbs were all long, elegant lines from her soft hands to her pointed toes and Sasuke knew.

It had to be her.

He was half way across the courtyard when someone stepped into his path.

"What?" He snapped, glaring at the girl who decided to block him.

She looked oddly familiar. Her hair was a light shade of pink, pulled up into a severe bun, and she wore a classic black leotard with pink tights. She had pointe shoes draped over her shoulder and she was smiling up at him. "You're Sasuke, right? Naruto's friend?"

"What of it?" He bit, shifting on his feet to look around her, a wave of annoyance rippling through him when he realized he couldn't see the couple from where they currently stood.

"You don't have to get snippy, it was just a question. I've never seen you come around here before but Naruto says you're a painter?" Sasuke snorted.

"I usually avoid  _this_  side of the building," he sneered and she huffed, her own delicate brows dipping downward as she pursed her lips at him. He sighed. "If you must know, I'm looking for someone to model for a project."

She visibly brightened, shoulders rolling back as her posture straightened. "Oh? Well, I think I'd be available." She smiled up at him, maintaining eye contact even as he glowered at her.

She was pretty enough. He remembers Naruto mentioning someone with pink hair he'd been hanging around with but couldn't think of her name at the moment though he was pretty sure it had to do something with her hair. She was lean and her eyes were a unique shade of green he'd be interested in trying to match.

Just not for this.

His muse seemed decided as his mind replayed the scene of the dark haired girl mid turn.

"Thanks, but I've got someone specific in mind." He stepped around her to keep heading in the direction of the tree.

"Hinata has class with Tsunade right now. Tsunade's the department head and doesn't like being interrupted." The girl called out after him. He froze.

"What-?"

"You kept looking in that direction and she always practices up there before rehearsals." She sniffed and started turning away. "Good luck convincing her to model for you, she hates unnecessary attention."

* * *

 

Sasuke wasn't able to catch up to that dark haired girl. He'd roamed the halls of the rehearsal rooms for about an hour before calling it quits and heading back to his apartment.

"What crawled up your butt?" Naruto asked when Sasuke swung the door open with enough force to bang loudly against the wall. Naruto's shoulders drooped at the dent in the drywall. Not that they'd had any hope of recovering their deposit at this point anyway.

"Art school." Sasuke grumbled, tossing his backpack on the floor and throwing himself on the couch. He ran his hands over his face and through his hair. "Art school and your stupid friends."

"What? Which friends?" Sasuke threw his hands over his head and stared up at the ceiling.

"That pink haired girl you talked about kept me from a girl." He could hear Naruto's confusion from the kitchen table.

"A girl? Sakura? I need more details man, you're making zero sense."

Sasuke threw an arm over his face. "I have to get someone to model for me and I spotted the perfect girl and  _Sakura_  held me up so I wasn't able to catch her." A bitter taste filled his mouth putting it together like that.

Stupid art school.

Stupid Sakura.

Everything was just so stupid…

Sasuke heaved a sigh as he heard the scrape of a chair against the linoleum floor. Naruto hovered over the back of the couch, eye brows raised in concern as he watched his friend mope.

"Do you want to get stupid drunk?"

"It's Thursday."

"That's essentially the weekend."

Sasuke blinked up at the ceiling then pushed himself up. "Yeah, fuck it."

* * *

 

Okay.

Thursday was definitely not  _essentially_  the weekend.

But this was college. Essentially pre-actual life. He was allowed to make decisions on the same level of stupidity as this schools' art program.

This didn't make his throbbing temples feel better as he trudged through campus, hoodie sopping wet from the sudden torrential down poor he had not planned on getting caught in. Thunder rumbled outside as he pulled the heavy fabric off of his body.

So much for trying to camp out in the courtyard to see if he can find dark haired girl.

He found an empty longue chair and pulled out his sketchbook. He glanced down at his phone before stuffing back into his bag and pulled out the sketch he'd started on the night before.

Without more than his memory he wasn't able to get much down on paper but he'd started trying to capture the movements of that girl. He'd started drawing different bits and pieces of her. His pencil drifted towards the hand he had started on the night before, lips pressing into a thin line as he tried to recall how her hands had looked when she'd spun away from her partner.

He heard the sound of rain increase as someone opened the door, the heavy patter of fat drops on pavement loud in the nearly empty halls of the building. Sasuke didn't bother looking up, getting more frustrated with himself as he failed at recreating this girl on paper. He turned the page and started over, this time trying to see if he could sketch out the complicated lift that had caught his eye.

He had just started on her hair when he heard a gasp.

Sitting next to him in another longue chair, was dark haired girl, a coffee cup gripped in her hands and drops of rain dripping off of her bands as she stared at him with wide eyes. The paleness of her gaze made his breath hitch and he wished it were illegal to be this attractive. His tongue felt like lead in his mouth, hangover momentarily forgotten as he took in each and every feature of this girl as quickly as he could like she was going to disappear.

Her skin was pale and immaculate save for the blush that started at her cheeks from how fiercely he searched her face. Her lips were parted slightly from her gasp and they looked so petal soft he was half tempted to reach out and touch her.

"H-hi?" She said, touch of hesitance to her greeting as he continued to state.

"Hi."

Neither of them moved. A group of students came through, nosily chattering as they went, sneakers squeaking against the tiled floor. The door's slam echoed after them and settled into an awkward silence that he wasn't sure he wanted to break.

"I-uh that's a nice drawing." She muttered, pulling her cup closer to her lips to hide her face, finding the lid suddenly fascinating. "It kind of looks like they're dancing."

"They are." He tapped the end of his pencil against the paper. "Dancing, that is." He looked down at the gym bag by her feet pointedly. "You dance?"

She nodded, crossing her legs at her ankles, self-consciously tucking loose hair behind her ear. Sasuke quirked a brow at her.

"You're quiet for a performer." Her blush intensified and she pressed her lips into a thin line before responding.

"I just like to dance." She jerked her chin at his notebook. "It's pretty. You're drawing. It kind of looks like… Part of some of the choreography I've been working on." Sasuke smirked.

"Oh? Funny, I saw a couple of people running through it and I thought it was interesting." She hummed and took a sip from her cup. "I'm Sasuke," he offered when she didn't say anything else. He squinted at her, pretending to think for a minute. "Actually, you kind of look like one half of the couple I had seen yesterday."

"O-Oh?" He flipped a few pages back on his sketch book, looking for the one of her face he had abandoned when Naruto started puking last night. He presented it to her and he finally noticed her face had gotten so red he wondered if she was alright. "O-oh, how about t-that."

He was about to open his mouth to ask her if he could draw her dancing on her own when someone called out to her from the end of the hall.

"Hinata!" A tall blond girl in knee pads, short shorts, and a crop top was waving at her from one of the class rooms. "Good! I'm glad you're here, come help me real quick." Without waiting for a response, she flounced back into the room, long hair whipping behind her as she went.

"I-I've got to go. Sorry." She grabbed her gym bag and all but ran towards the room where the other girl had disappeared to.

' _Hinata, huh.'_

* * *

 

"Who were you talking to, by the way? He looked cute." Hinata shrugged, pulling her sweatshirt over the top of her head and tossing it aside, adjuster her off the shoulder t-shirt and shaking out some of the moisture from her hair.

"I'm not sure." Ino gave Hinata a weird look as she joined her on the floor of the classroom she had sequestered. She liked to take over empty classrooms at the end of the day for impromptu hip-hop dance sessions.

"It's not like you to strike up a conversation with a stranger," she smirked wickedly. "Little princess Hinata, were you  _flirting?_ " She spoke in a song, eyebrows wriggling when Hinata spluttered.

"I-I I mean… I don't. Ino," she let herself fall back on to the floor, hair splaying around her as she blinked up at the ceiling. "I think he was drawing Sai and I."

"What?" Hinata groaned and brought her hands up to her face, sliding herself across the floor and away from Ino with her legs.

"He was drawing and I sat next to him and happened to see and I guess I made a noise when I saw and he recognized me." She took her hands away from her face to look up at Ino who was looking down at her curiously. "Is that conceited of me to assume he was drawing us? It was that weird lift that we do, you know the one where I bend my arms and legs in that weird pose?" Ino scrunched up her face in thought.

"No, I mean it's a unique movement, I don't think anyone else has something like that in anything they're working on now so it's not a farfetched idea. Is there something wrong with him drawing you guys? Does he give you like, creep vibes or something?"

"No," Hinata groaned again as she pushed herself off the floor and drew her knees up to circle her arms around her legs. "No, I guess I just… He seemed kind of like… He wanted to ask about drawing me some more." She hid her face in her knees, speaking into her tights. "And I don't think I can do that."

"You're so weird sometimes, Hinata."


	11. Day 9: Tea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SasuHina Month 2k17
> 
> Day 9 Tea

**Day 9: Tea**

Naruto had insisted that Sasuke come in to see the new house.

He was hesitant, only because he didn't want to linger long enough to guilt himself into going home. He knew Sakura was aware he was in the village for a check in with the Hokage but not that he'd have some time to himself before he had to leave.

He usually wouldn't take the time. He'd usually just leave.

But Naruto was persuasive. Citing the fact that he'd missed the wedding and that their new house was so well put together and how cute Hinata looked in it. The excitement on his best friend's face was infectious so he had trailed after him, silent as he noted the way to Naruto's new home.

Hinata had greeted them at the door. He had to give her credit for being able to hide her surprise at seeing him so well. Her smile never faltered even as she blushed, accepting a kiss on the cheek from her husband. Sasuke averted his eyes from the display, noting the simple furnishings of the house and the shine of the floors indicating them recently cleaned.

The air smelled of fresh linen and the framed pictures and art work on the walls gave such an overall feeling of "home" it was almost overwhelming.

A hand came and clapped his shoulder pulling him out of his revere. Naruto was beaming at him. "So, what do you think?"

"It's a nice place," he murmured before pulling himself from Naruto's grasp. "Thank you for inviting me-"

"Oh, no Sasuke, please at least stay for a cup of tea." Hinata spoke from the doorway, already moving towards the kitchen without allowing him a chance to respond. He watched her back as she moved around the kitchen, arms reaching without looking. Completely at home. He turned to Naruto.

"If you insist."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A taste of something I'm working on now that'll probably get posted sometime next year.


	12. Day 10: Pen-pals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SasuHina Month 2k17
> 
> Day 10: Pen-pals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More on unnamed writing project. Some of the details may change but I've been in a mood and this is along the same idea as that so here's this. 
> 
> Note: Sometime I answer ffn guest review on tumblr to things I think need a response to. I don't like long a/n if I can help it.

**Day 10: Pen-pals**

_Sasuke,_

_I am doubting._

_Each day brings about new questions._

_Who were you just talking to? Did you change clothes before coming home? Take a shower? Why aren't you hungry? Have you eaten already? Why won't you look at me? Why won't you touch me? Did you come home last night?_

_I see him only in passing now. I feel like a stranger in my own home._

_He looks away even passing me in the hall._

_I don't know what to do. I do not want to doubt him. But I am. My heart aches and..._

_I'm scared._

_I'm sorry to bother you with these problems… I know it's not really fair to you. You're not here. And you're_ his _friend._

_So I do appreciate this. Whatever this is. I appreciate you._

_All my love,_

_Hinata_

* * *

 

_Hinata,_

_I'm sorry._

_I wish there were something I could write to ease your pain, but there really are no words._

_I'll be home soon._

_Sasuke_


	13. Day 11: Kimono

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SasuHina Month 2k17
> 
> Day 11: Kimono. Part IV high school au

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is raw and I'm tired.
> 
> See you guys tomorrow.

**Day 11: Kimono**

Jiraiya was late.

But that was normal and actually expected.

What wasn't normal or expected was that Sasuke wasn't sitting at Naruto's table in drama today.

Ino watched with hooded eyes as he bypassed his best friend's table to slam his binder down on Hinata's usual table. Instead of flinching away she had tilted her head up to him, lips curving into a smirk as she greeted him. Sakura huffed beside her but Ino ignored her, quirking her eyebrows at the pair.

Shizune had really done everyone a favor by leaving the last phycology assignments up to chance like she had. She wasn't surprised that they didn't present like most of the other groups. Ino had actually been mentally preparing for what she'd thought would be the inevitable class period where Sasuke would snap at Hinata and she'd have to jump down his throat to  _not_  do that. She watched them like a hawk, eyes narrowing whenever he shifted close to speak to her or when their hands accidentally brushed each other.

But the blow up never came.

Instead her diligent surveillance yielded different results.

Instead she was observing a growing friendship between the unlikely paid. They worked well together and they got along. Really well.

It was refreshing to see Sasuke talking to and laughing with someone other than Naruto and Sakura. It was nice seeing Hinata comfortable enough to hold a conversation without tripping over her words or slouching into her seat. These were two things Ino endorsed wholeheartedly and she was hungry for more of it.

Ten minutes into class and still no instructor.

Again. Normal. At least it wasn't for a class that really counted for anything, Drama, in her opinion, was more extracurricular than anything else. She started pulling out her nail file to get comfortable for the thirty minutes that were left when Jiraiya burst into the room, door slamming against the far wall and disturbing a book shelf next to it.

"Hey! We're trying to have class in here." Naruto grinned up at their teacher, lacing his fingers behind his head as he leaned back in his chair. "No disruptions, teach!"

"Don't be a smart ass," Jiraiya grumbled, dark eyes scanning the room in his version of attendance. Ino rolled her eyes and started filing her nails. There went her peaceful thirty minutes to herself. "Okay, you guys. You know the drill. Find something useful to do."

"Can we play in the costume closet?" Naruto again, a small plead to his voice. Jiraiya hummed.

"We promise to clean it all up this time," Sakura chimed in. Jiraiya continued his humming. Ino put her nail file down and raised her brows at him expectantly.

"That counts as actual drama work doesn't it? You can count it as a grade if you give us something specific to work towards," she added, leaning an arm on the back of her chair. She saw Naruto give her a thumbs up from the corner of her eye. Of course it was a good idea, this was a sure fire way to get Jiraiya a way to agree to anything, let it be an easy grade.

"Good idea Yamanaka, let's see." He tapped a finger against his chin before his face split into a sly smile. "I know why don't you all find some kimonos to dress up in. Bonus points for accuracy."

Sasuke snorted. "When you say "you all" you mean the girls don't you?"

Without skipping a beat, Naruto added, "That's rather perverse teach, I'm not sure the boss lady would appreciate that."

"Will the two of you shut up and get to work, this is what you wanted wasn't it?"

Ino bit back a snicker as the boys rolled their eyes at each other.

The closet Jiraiya kept at the back of the room was a mixture of most costumes you could think of for any school play. It was a collection of clothing the school had acquired after years of productions. She and Sakura dug through the packed hangers, looking to see if there even was a kimono in here to play with. Hinata hovered over a box of accessories, brow furrowed as her hands started sifting through tangled scarves.

"So, Hinata, you and Sasuke…" Ino rolled her eyes but didn't interrupt when Sakura spoke, interested to see Hinata's reaction.

The boys had hovered around Shikamaru's phone to "research" different style of Kimono.

She saw her stiffen only slightly before she continued with the box. Giving up on her current rack, Sakura turned around to pull a second accessories box from underneath the clothes. She sat on the ground as she started to dig, leaving Ino to finish going through the clothes.

"What about us?" To Hinata's credit, she was starting to get really good at that Hyuuga impassiveness. Ino wouldn't have known that the topic had struck a chord if it weren't for her initial hesitation. Sakura stopped her digging and leaned an elbow on to the edge of the box, cradling her cheek in her hand.

"Well, you two seem to have gotten pretty close since Shizune's project…" Sakura shrugged, but Ino could see out of the corner of her eye how rigid her posture was. Hinata seemed to have noticed as well since she had stopped to keep eye contact with Sakura.

"I suppose. I like talking to him." Ino had to jump in then.

"Does this mean you've exchanged numbers?" Hinata cut her eyes to her lap, twiddling her fingers in her lap.

"Maybe…" Sakura made a strange noise, somewhere between a gasp and sucking her teeth.

"Sasuke doesn't share his phone number with anyone," there was a tinge of annoyance to her tone and Hinata shrugged, taking a few moments to respond. Or at least that what Ino assumed based off of the way she pressed her lips together and the slightly drawn out pause.

"It made sense for the project." She decided and began shifting through the box again. Sakura watched her for a few moments before pushing herself up.

"I'm going to check the other storage room."

* * *

"We should probably dress Sakura up, I bet she'd look super cute in a Kimono," Naruto said dreamily, sitting in a chair backwards, arms draped over the back of it as he looked off into the distance.

"We'll agree to disagree on that dude," Karin huffed. She tilted her chair back, looking up at the ceiling with her arms crossed over her chest.

"I don't know, I think it'd be interesting to see Ino in a kimono." Sai chirped, not looking up from his sketchbook from across the room. Shikamaru was about to add to that when Ino interrupted them.

"We found one! Look how cute Hinata looks!" The group swiveled their heads to where Ino stood, arms extended towards Hinata in a presenting fashion, Sakura stood off to the side, hip leaned against the door frame of the closet they had exited.

Sasuke felt his heart stutter against his chest.

They had worked Hinata's hair into a knot at the top of her head, bangs and loose strands framing her face and softening her features. Her lips shone under the harsh florescent light of the classroom and he wondered if that was flavored lip gloss and how it would feel on his skin. The kimono they had dug up had seen better days but had a pastel pattern of pinks and purples that brought out the color of Hinata's deceivingly pale eyes.

"Wow," Naruto breathed before clapping a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. His smirk spoke the words his friend wouldn't dare breathe out loud in front of everyone else. His eyes said, "caught you." He swallowed thickly before he responded to Ino.

"Yeah… cute."


	14. Day 12: Fantasy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SasuHina Month 2k17
> 
> Day 12: Fantasy
> 
> Loosely based off of the myth of Persephone. May be revised later.

**Day 12: Fantasy**

So dark.

Her hair was so dark and seemed to sparkle like the night sky. Long sheets of midnight that fell along her shoulders and danced around her face, softening her features in such a way that had his heart stuttering and his mind reeling with everything that he thought he knew of her. Naruto had tried to warn him about her.

But he'd always wanted to see the underworld.

The heavens were lovely. All bright skies and warm light from the sun. There was eternity in the skies. That was comforting and infinite and his father had bestowed upon him the power of life that he would distribute to the earth when harsh winters receded.

Yes, the heavens were lovely.

But they were also boring.

Most days were peaceful and most spirits were kind in their own way, usually keeping a respectful distance from him and the other gods. Which he hated.

He craved interaction. He craved exploration and more depth to what he knew of the mortal souls that surrounded them. He craved something  _other_  than this.

The earth had warmed and given way to spring. His cue to walk the earth and bless the living with his magic to bring the soil back to life.

Sasuke had arrived on earth in the dead of night, bare feet touching down on cool, damp soil with the moon shining brightly in the night sky. His robes fluttered around his legs as he sighed, the familiar warmth of his magic pooling at his hands as he started his trek across the land to coax it awake from its winter slumber. He huffed a puff of air up at his hair as he paused to survey the land.

He wouldn't have noticed it, usually, but since he'd been looking for spots that would've needed extra bits of his magic to coax back to life it had stood out to him.

At the edge of the woods a few yards from him was an odd formation of rocks that had two large trees at their center. The trees appeared to be dead and when he narrowed his eyes at them he noticed the slight shift of light between them that was indicative of a portal to another dimension. He allowed his magic to trickle to a stop and was contemplating inspecting the portal when something else caught his attention. .

A spirit. Mortal, from what he could tell from its ghostly white complexion and blurry image. It floated through the woods, wisps of itself occasionally disturbed by low laying branches. The expression on the spirit was dreamlike, likely in the trance of afterlife that often lead them to the closest doorway to…

The Underworld.

Sasuke stayed, frozen in his spot as he watched the spirit float through the woods and disappear through the large trees on to the other side.

His father would be furious. As would his mother. Both of them expecting him to take care of his portion of earth for the night so that the spring could come on time for the mortals.

He licked his lips, hands clenching and unclenching at his side as he watched the shimmering between the trees continue. He had never seen a portal to the underworld before. He had always heard it was very different from the heavens, different because their queen was different. Though she was technically also a god, she hardly ever left her realm to make herself known up above.

He wondered if she'd be upset if he dropped in.

It's not like he was hoping to usurp her, it was more that his morbid curiosity of the afterlife.

And maybe also catching a glimpse of the queen. Sasuke took a deep breath and started forward, determination setting in his movements as he tread over damp soil.

At the doorway he paused, holding a hand up and tentatively putting it up towards the shimmering air. There was a different kind of warmth there, against his palm, one that started there and flooded through him like a gentle wave. Taking another steadying breath, he walked through the door.

* * *

 

Hinata only hoped for the best for her people.

She realized that dying probably sucked. A lot. So she always did her best to try to make things as fair as possible during the afterlife. Not quite as good as actually being alive but a close second for the rest of eternity.

She tried not to take it too personally when, even in death and at her thrown these mortals seemed to cower before her. It did hurt a little to hear the tremble of their voice so she usually delegated the task of greeting others in the afterlife to her cousin or her sister. Whoever was free at the time, either didn't seem to mind the task much except that it was tedious and boring.

She had felt him before she saw him.

She had been walking the perimeter of the palace gowns, tisking at the state of the flower gardens when her body had tensed at the unknown power that had entered her realm. He was a presence unknown to her, not someone she had interacted with directly, though it was a familiar energy. Familiar enough for her to understand that she had a guest from the heavens.

Hinata adjusted her gown, smoothing her hands over the dark skirt before bringing them back up to push her hair back from her face and behind her ears. She wondered if her brother in the skies would be requesting her presence soon, but if that were the case he would have just sent Lee with the message who she'd recognize immediately.

She frowned as she walked, souls carefully avoiding her, clearing a path for her as she made her way towards the entrance that this person had entered from.

She felt him before she saw him.

Electric magic dancing off of him not unlike the energies that her brother often used. But unlike her brother it didn't seem as though his magic was dancing around him as an intimidation tactic but rather because he was younger and therefore less practiced at controlling the coursing flow of electricity that rolled off of him in cackling waves.

It was also… Different. Similar in that it  _felt_  like electricity but not quite the same raw power that her brother wielded. No, this was much softer, more rounded and  _warm_. The closest she could relate to it in her mind would be the first breath of air a mortal would take to begin their life when broken free of the womb.

She stopped. Closing her eyes to relish the feel.

Life.

So different than the coldness that often surrounded her realm as that's what its nature was.

Death.

When she opened her eyes he stood before her and she instantly recognized him. She'd recognize those eyes anywhere.

"Lady Hinata." He bowed, showing proper respect for an elder and her status as ruler of one of the three realms. She licked her lips, checking her surprise and hiding it with a smile.

"Please stand. To what do I owe the please, Sasuke… Bringer of Life."


	15. Day 13: Lucid Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SasuHina Month 2k17
> 
> Day 13: Lucid Dream
> 
> Part ii of All Roads Lead to You AKA soul mates AU. Part i is chapter chapter 5 on here.

**Day 13: Lucid Dreams**

I was aware.

More aware than I had been the previous nights.

These dreams I had been having were familiar and always the same. They were comforting and I often went to bed hoping tonight would be one of the nights I'd have this dream as I always woke feeling alert and full of hope that didn't really make sense to the dream itself.

I didn't know what they were then.

I am still in denial as to what is happening to me. To us…

But it's getting harder to deny.

Hanabi speculated to me once that this was a shared dream. The beginnings of a psychic link that formed and grew stronger when you were about to meet your partner. I told her she was silly. That a little less than 3% of the population were likely to develop these psychic links and only 20% of the 3% would actually get to meet their other half.

" _I don't think that's what these are."_

" _I don't know why you keep shutting this down. It's totally a possibility."_

" _I understand it's a possibility but… I mean the odds are definitely stacked against that theory."_

I felt like by being realistic to myself, by reciting these statistics like a mantra over and over to myself as a lullaby while also hoping for that same dream to come by, would save me from hoping this dream would become a reality. From the eventual disappointment when it did not.

Even if I couldn't quite squash down that hope either way.

Tonight was different.

The lighting in the room had changed, the sunlight shifting from cool blues to warmer yellow-orange against the off-white walls. Birds chirped happily outside the window and I knew if I pulled back the sheer white curtains there'd be an endless view of rolling hills. A canopy of green trees and long grass shifting in the breeze as far as I could see would cover the hills and I'd feel that overwhelming filling of my heart that was a constant whenever I dreamed myself in this house.

There was a steady ticking of a grandfather clock coming from the hallway. The carpet was rough against the bottoms of my bare feet and I curled my toes into the fabric, relishing the texture and steadying my breaths as the clock continued to tick the night's passage. I was about to close my eyes, allow this tranquil feeling to flow through me like cool water when a strange fluttering started at my chest.

My breath caught in my throat and I snapped my head towards the archway that lead to the entryway. I had never strayed from this room before. I never had the urge to sit on the beige living room set, run my hands through the fluttering fabric of the corners, or peer out of the windows. I'd always stood at the center of this room, facing the fireplace and listening to the ticking.

But tonight, I was awake. Or not awake, aware.

My pulse quickened against my skin and my mouth felt dry. I felt itchy, anxious to move from this spot and go outside. A sudden buzzing trembled through my body as the thought of being in this house one second longer would suddenly feel like torture as opposed to comfort.

I swallowed, saliva hot and sticky as it crawled down my throat with such force that left it feeling like a desert. Even though I wanted to move,  _needed_  to move, I was frozen.

The clock's ticking felt more like a countdown than ever.

I closed my eyes, straightened my shoulders, and started for the entryway. The carpet ended, giving way to a shining wooden floor that creaked with the strain of my weight on it. Each footstep a soft groan of old wood and nails as my heart hammered against my chest as the front door crept closer and closer to me. I reached my hand out and stopped, fingers grazing the cool metal of the door knob.

My hesitation allowed a ripple of fear to replace anticipation. Opening this door, seeing whatever it was that was outside of this house would change everything. I knew it. Could sense it. My body continued to buzz, an unknown force willing me turn to open the door. My hand shook where it hovered over the knob but I gave in to push the door open with all the force I had been using from keeping myself still.

The screen door banged against the far wall as I pushed it open, disturbing the relative silence of the day as I blinked to adjust to the brighter light of the outside. The porch gave way to a loose gravel path and standing just before the stairs of the porch was someone.

He was someone I knew, or at least it felt like I knew as I looked in to those eyes and feel I like could count each lash and know them each like the back of my hand. His mouth opened slightly at the sight of me, lips parting and a soft gasp escaped him as he took me in, those dark eyes searching my face and memorizing my features in a way that no one in my waking life had ever tried to do.

"Hi…" He started, seeming to remember himself and straightening his shoulders.

"You're finally here," I breathed, not knowing where the words came from. I didn't know I had been waiting until this moment. Until I was face to face with the most beautiful boy I'd ever encountered and my heart was singing and I felt so  _whole_  I wanted to cry.

My alarm blared then, pulling me forcefully from slumber as I shot up from my mattress, sheets tangled around my legs and my skin was sticky from sweat. There was a sharp knock at my door.

"Hinata!" My sister, sounding a little annoyed. "You'll be late at this rate."

I groaned, falling back and pushing my palms against my eyelids before taking a deep breath and jumping out of bed, stumbling on the sheets as I went.

As I brushed the tangles from my hair, eyes narrowed at my own reflection, I could still see him. Gazing back at me with dark eyes that seemed to have captured me and bleed fully into my waking life as I went through the motions of getting ready for school.

My body felt heavy. There was a heavy pit at my core and my limbs felt like lead as I finally made my way down the stairs, keys jingling in my hands as I went, movements sluggish despite my rush. Hanabi stood at the foot of the stairs, eyes narrowed up at me with her arms crossed over her small frame, hip cocked to one side as she stared.

I kept my eyes lowered to the carpeted steps and was hoping she wouldn't notice my odd behavior when she gasped. I could hear the satisfaction in her voice when she spoke.

"You met them last night, didn't you?"

"Hanabi-"

"What did they look like? Are they hot?" I stepped around her and quickened my stride, pushing aside the odd feeling of my body. She trailed closely behind. "Did you learn their name? Did you talk to them? Oh, this is so cool! My sister has a link! A legitimate link! It'll be so cool if you're able to arrange a meeting in person. I wonder if you guys will be able to do that-"

"Hanabi please!" I swirled around and put my arms at her shoulders, stopping her in her tracks effectively stopping her rambling. She blinked up at me, her pale eyes gazing up at me alight with curiosity. I bit my lip and took my hands away to circle my arms around myself. I took a deep breath. "I just really don't want to talk about this. Can we go?"

* * *

 

Today was probably the worst day for it to be a first day.

Sasuke shifted uneasily next to his brother who was bent over filling out paperwork. He tapped his fingers restlessly against his jean covered thighs as the halls began to fill with the voices of his soon to be peers. Itachi sighed, flipping to the next page and seeing all the other pieces of information that needed to be filled in, slumped further in his seat.

Sasuke kept seeing her. Light eyes. Long hair. Pieces of her breathy voice kept floating through his thoughts since he'd gotten up that morning. Waking up had never been harder, had never felt more like being ripped away forcefully than it had this morning.

He wished he would've thought to ask her name. To get something from her that'd make it easier to find her in their waking life. Though thinking on it now it felt like finding a needle in a haystack. He didn't even know if she was anywhere near here. He couldn't begin to think of where to start and he wasn't sure he'd be given a second chance at meeting her in their dream. He wasn't sure if the dreams would continue now that he knows her face.

He wished he had paid attention whenever the subject had been brought up.

His body ached and he felt hollow as he kept turning over different ideas on how to start a proper search for this girl. He barely acknowledged his brother's clap on his shoulder when Itachi had left or the secretary's kind smile as he took his printed schedule from her as well as a map of the campus.

"Second period is about to start, you can start heading that way honey." He thanked her and started his search.

This campus was larger than his old school. He took a few turns, squinting at the numbers on the walls and wishing he'd worn his glasses instead of his contact lenses. He'd probably be carrying this map for weeks. When he'd finally found the correct classroom, he adjusted his backpack on his shoulders and leaned against the wall, tilting his head back to thud against the cool tile of the wall.

His heart beat hard against his chest and he felt his breath quicken when the bell dinged the end of the first period. The halls filled almost instantly with students, voices blending together in the chaos as they all started their collective commute to their next class. He waited for the doorway to clear before making his way in. He handed the teacher his transfer slip before he was directed to a table towards the back of the room. He was handed a textbook and on his merry way to his seat.

His pulse continued its quick pace in his veins as other students slowly trickled in, some casting him curious looks but none approaching his table to sit next to him. He kept his eyes lowered on his notebook, hoping to avoid any eye contact and concentrated on calming himself enough so that he wouldn't be jittering during the lecture. The last thing he needed at this new school was a reputation of being disruptive.

The air changed around him, feeling charged as the hair on his arm stood on end with the last group of students to walk through the door. There was a clatter as a binder on to the floor. Sasuke looked up and caught her eye.

The relief he felt at seeing her was instant. He hadn't realized he'd been holding himself taught and that he had been clenching his jaw. Seeing her was like he'd dipped himself into a cool spring of water even though she was blushing furiously and had immediately looked away and to the floor to fumble with her dropped binder and books. He felt his whole being twitched as though he wanted to go up to her and help though he knew it'd draw unwanted attention towards him. Instead he started a doodle on his blank notebook paper.

"Hinata? Is everything alright?" The teacher spoke up and Sasuke glanced up to find Hinata still dawdling at the front of the room. She was still looking down at the floor though all of her things were in her hands.

"N-no it's fine. I'm… fine."

"Great, please take your seat," the teacher responded not unkindly. She nodded and started forward slowly.

" _Why? Why did she have to put him there?"_

Sasuke stopped his doodling as the words filled his mind, the unfamiliar voice floating around with his own. He turned and saw her staring wide eyed at him, face as red as a strawberry.

" _Oh god…"_

" _So it's true."_

"Hinata?" She jumped, apologizing quickly and scooting into the empty seat beside Sasuke. Her posture was stiff and she sat at the very edge of her chair, foot jiggling wildly and her nervousness bled into his, twisting and melding into his own anxieties from before.

" _I didn't think it was true."_ He kept his gaze towards the board as the teacher began scribbling out reading assignments and pages with questions she'd like answered by tomorrow.  _"I would have never thought-"_

" _Would you please stop?"_ He blinked, tilting his head slightly so he could watch her out of the corner of his eye.

His body thrummed with her being so close to him and he felt an elation he didn't think he was capable of. Her face still looked drawn and she kept her head slightly turned away from him, hair pointedly blocking him from her view. He shifted in his seat.

" _Hinata…"_

She shot up from her seat then, gathering her things and rushing out of the room before anyone could stop her. The teacher called after her and the students all shifted around to look at him as they murmured questions to her speedy and abrupt exit. He was half way out of his seat when the teacher turned and pointed her marker at him.

"Sit," her tone was forceful and called for no argument. She gestured to the rest of the class. "Start the assignment. I'll be back."

' _Well so much for not being disruptive'_


	16. Day 14: Sunrise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SasuHina Month 2k17
> 
> Day 14: Sunrise part
> 
> Part Five of high school AU

**Day 14: Sunrise**

Hinata could not begin to explain to people her continuing relationship with Sasuke.

It’d been three weeks since Shizune’s project. She had never imagined herself being able to get along so swimmingly with _the_ Sasuke Uchiha. He was funny. So much funnier than she would have thought someone who frowned so much to be capable of. He was also _nice_. At least, when he felt like being nice which with each passing day, at least to her, was more often than not.

She had just settled into a bench under a tree for her free period. Browns, oranges, and reds swirled around her as a breeze kicked up the fallen leaves from their place on the ground. She zipped her hoodie up and was rummaging through her bag for a book when she felt her pocket buzz.

_[Heads up. Party at Choji’s this weekend. Ino’s about to ask you, she spotted you from the foyer.]_

She squinted down at the text message, Sasuke’s name sandwiched between two storm cloud emojis at the top of the message app. She was about to send a response when a familiar floral perfume filled her senses as slender arms wrapped around her frame.

“Hinata! You’ll never guess.” Ino bounced up and down in her seat, jostling Hinata since Ino’s arms were still wound tightly around her. Shikamaru and Choji came around the corner and stood in front of them. Shikamaru sighed.

“Ino, you’re scaring her,” he shifted on his feet and tilted his head back, watching as fat, fluffy clouds drifted lazily in the sky.  Choji dug around in a bag of chips, fishing out a handful and bringing it up to his mouth.

“I’m having a party on Saturday, Hinata, I’d really like it if you would stop by.” He spoke around his mouthful. Ino pouted.

“You guys are no fun,” she squeezed Hinata a little tighter, rubbing their cheeks together. “It’d be great if you could come Hinata.” Hinata felt Ino’s face firm up in a smile next to her. “ _Everyone_ is going. And everyone also happens to include-“

“Come on Ino, we’ve got other people to find.” Shikamaru interrupted, reaching over to untangle her from Hinata. “See you later Hinata.”

Hinata looked after them for a beat before turning back to the phone still clutched in her hand. He thumbs hovered over the screen as she mulled over what to say.

She shouldn’t be entertaining the thought. Her father would never go for it. He had said he was raising the finest minds in Konoha and therefore there was no time for trivial distractions.

But…

But she really wanted to go.

* * *

 

“Maybe I can sell him with studies.” Sasuke sighed as Hinata continued. “I can write him a paper. I’d have all of tonight to write it a-and can include statistics of how stressing high school can be.”

She had come over today so they could work on their physics homework together. Hinata claimed she was lacking on the subject but she hardly ever needed help applying what they’d learned in class to the homework. There was a small part of him that wondered if she used this as an excuse to get out of the house.

Or maybe even spend some extra time with him.  

But he didn’t dwell on that thought long. Instead he leaned his back against his mattress from his place on the floor, legs outstretched on his carpeted floor as Hinata paced, occasionally stepping over his legs. Her arms fluttered around her as she talked. He wouldn’t have pegged her for a nervous babbler but the more he knew her the more he was surprised by her. At this point that in and of itself should no longer be surprising.

She groaned, crumpling and plopping herself on the floor next to him, bending her legs up and circling her arms around herself. He reached up and patted her arm awkwardly.

“He’ll never buy any of that,” she sniffed into her knees.

Sasuke felt useless, watching her agonize over the different way she could possibly try to convince her father to let her go to the party. It wasn’t that he didn’t have any ideas to offer. The problem was that he _did_ , and judging by her current position next to him on the floor of his room, it seemed like it was also likely her only choice.

He continued his patting, the suggestion at the tip of his tongue.

But the memory of her standing in the entryway of her family’s law firm, face contorted and body trembling with the force of holding back her sobs as traitorous tears streamed down her face held him back.

He didn’t want to get her in trouble. He’d hate for them to get caught and for her to be ordered to stay away from him, forever branded as a bad influence in the eyes of the Hyuuga patriarch. He shifted where he sat, scooting closer to her to put an arm around her. She lifted her head to reposition herself and lean against his shoulder.

His fingers brushed against the soft fabric of her sweater as she snuggled closer to him, her nose brushing the fabric of his t-shirt as she sighed. He felt her shoulders slowly lower themselves as she relaxed against him and the gentle scent of her shampoo filled his senses.

His bedroom door remained open, per his father’s request. He could hear his mother moving around downstairs, pans clanging loudly in the relative silence of the house. Hinata had settled against him but, even though she was relaxed, he could almost hear the thoughts buzzing around her mind.

“Why is it so important you go?” He murmured against her hair. She lifted herself from him, separating their contact. He immediately missed her warmth but kept himself where he was.

“I just… I mean haven’t you notice that I haven’t been to any kind of party, birthday or not, since we’d turned thirteen?” She huffed, lips puckering in a pout. “I just… I just work really hard. I want to be what he wants me to be. B-but I’m not a robot!” She turned to him, eyes shining. “You were right before, about me being up tight. I don’t w-want to be seen like that… all the time.”

She licked her lips and he glanced down at them briefly before looking back up to her eyes. “I’ll sneak you out.”

* * *

 

“Hanabi-“

“Absolutely not. This is ridiculous and I’m not going down with you.”

“Hanabi, please I’ll owe you-“

“Too much! Besides, aren’t teenage parties supposed to be dangerous?” Hanabi kept her arms crossed over her, chin tilted upwards and away from Hinata who kneeled before her. Hinata huffed, puffing her cheeks out exaggeratedly.

“You watch too many movies, Hanabi. It’ll be at Choji’s house. You know Choji, he’s nice, yes?” She could see her sister looking at her out of the corner of her eye and she felt a small sliver of hope flutter at her chest. “Yes?”

“Will there be alcohol?”

“I’m not-“

“Yes or no question, Hinata.”

“… I don’t have an honest answer to that.” She took a deep breath. She appreciated her sister’s concern but _she_ was the older one. She also considered herself incredibly responsible so she wasn’t sure why her younger sister was reacting this way. “Hanabi, please this means a lot to me. I really want to go.”

Hanabi shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Hinata blinked up at her, hands clasped together as she looked up at her sister. Hanabi glanced down then turned away sharply. She hummed a few notes before sighing, shoulders drooping dramatically. “Fine! I’ll cover for you. Not that you have much to worry about, I don’t think he’ll be home until tomorrow.”

“Thank you! Thank you so much!”

“Yeah, yeah thank me. Please just… be careful. Try not to get caught… too.” Hinata embraced her sister, twirling her small frame around once before putting her back on her feet and running back to her bedroom.

Their father had sent them a message that he had to stay at the office tonight and would likely be back sometime tomorrow. Her fingers couldn’t switch message screens fast enough as she typed up a message to Sasuke to let him know. This would simplify things for their plan tonight.

She could hardly contain her excitement, skipping the last few paces to her room so that she could get ready.

* * *

 

Sasuke was annoyed.

Arms crossed, he scowled down at Sakura who was sitting in front of her vanity curling her hair. Naruto was sprawled on her bed, arms circled around one of her pillows, on his stomach, as he watched curiously.

Sakura was driving tonight. It was her turn, as Sasuke had driven the last time they went out like this and Naruto the time before that. They didn’t often go out together but they always made sure to keep track of the rotation to keep things fair.

So Sakura’s current attitude at his request was rubbing him in all the wrong ways.

“I don’t think it’s an unreasonable request,” he bit, walking over to where she sat to catch her eye in the mirror. She kept her eyes focused on her reflection as she wound some hair around her curling wand.

“You’re right,” her tone was clam, almost bored as she continued her movements around her head. “It’s not an unreasonable request, but as I said before, she’s kind of out of the way from the rest of us. Can’t she borrow her dad’s car? Aren’t they rich?” She wrinkled her nose as the finished off the last bit of her hair. Sasuke felt his nostrils flare.

“Why do you have to be such a fucking bitch sometimes?”

“Woah, guys chill. Sakura, Hinata’s really not _that_ out of the way. Is it really such a big deal to swing by and grab her and then drop her off?” Naruto pushed himself from Sakura’s bed, sitting up to look between his two friends. Sakura sniffed, pulling some eyeliner from her make-up bag and shifting closer to the mirror.

“She is though. My dad is already upset I’ll be out tonight with you two losers, I don’t think he’d appreciate me also taxi-ing half the school around.”

“I’m asking you to pick up one girl. Naruto is staying with me tonight, it’s not even an extra trip! I didn’t give you this much push back when you wanted to go to iHop at three in the morning.” Sakura slammed her eyeliner down.

“I already told you I can’t do it! And maybe it’s also because I don’t _want_ to. Hinata and I aren’t even friends like that Sasuke. _You_ told her you’d get her to that party, _I_ didn’t.” She huffed, digging roughly through her bag before getting frustrated and throwing it back on to the table. She turned in her seat, freshly curled hair flying around her. He had never seen her look so upset at him. “If you need to get her there, _you_ figure something else out but she’s not riding with me.”

They glared at each other, the silence of the room enveloping them like a heavy blanket. Naruto looked on helplessly, unsure what to say to placate both of them.

Sasuke grunted, accepting the stalemate and turned, leaving them both without a word.

* * *

 

Hinata looked different.

Not in a bad way.

Hinata normally looked simple. She seldom wore more than maybe some lip balm at school and her clothes were modest, generally staying away from loud prints or colors. Hinata was clean cut, keeping with her trend of sticking to the background. The most he’d ever seen her dressed up was for Career Day.

Tonight she… Did _something_.

Her hair was pulled up into a high pony tail, hanging down her back in a sleek cascade of straight midnight. Her eyes were framed with dark mascara and the edges of her lids shimmered with gold flecks of glitter that made her eyes shine.  

She blinked up at him, beaming as she shouted a good-bye over her shoulder before shutting the door and skipping up to stand beside him. He could feel the excitement rolling off her in waves and felt his scowl from earlier fade into a smirk to match her smile. She was wearing a dress.

A _dress_.

A dress that was a rich shade of navy blue and cinched at the waist and fluttered around her pale legs playfully as she shifted and shimmied, seemingly unable to stand still. She pulled at the edges of her cardigan and bobbed up and down on the balls of her booted feet. “A-ah, I though Sakura and Naruto were-“

“They’re meeting us there.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets and jerked his head towards his brother’s car. “Come on.”

She shrugged off his comment and followed after him, giggling when he’d opened the passenger side door for her and offered her a bow.

He had felt relieved when she’d said her father wouldn’t be home tonight so there would be no actual sneaking when it came to getting her to the party. When he had gotten that message earlier today he had made the mistake of hoping tonight would go well. That he’d have a good time with little to no drama.

Foolish of him to even fathom that thought.

Sakura had been distant lately. More specifically, she’d been distant whenever he brought Hinata with him to hang out in between classes or during their free periods or at lunch. She’d remained civil, Sakura was never the type to get catty if she had a choice, but she also wasn’t warm which had upset Sasuke. Hinata normally kept to herself. She wasn’t mean or rude and she seemed like she genuinely wanted to get along with Sakura when they were together. She even did her best to remain calm for Naruto. She wanted to be _friends_. He couldn’t understand what Sakura’s deal was.

Especially with the whole ride thing. He wasn’t even asking her to do anything nefarious like drive with the headlights off and parking a block down from the Hyuuga mansion since they didn’t have to sneak. He was about ready to really bite her head off and he would have…

But Sakura was one of his best friends.

He just didn’t _get_ girls.

Hinata’s soft gasp pulled him from his thoughts. He shook his head slightly to clear his head to focus on what she was reacting to.

Cars.

A lot of them.

Up and down on both sides of a nondescript street. He pulled over, mindful of his brother’s car and parking towards the end of the street where there would be less traffic. Hinata leaned up towards the window, gaping at the amount of teenagers walking down the sidewalk to make it up to a house that had the music blaring so loud the windows were shaking. She cleared her throat before turning towards him.

“This… Suddenly doesn’t seem like such a good idea.” She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and averted her gaze, looking down into her lap where she fiddled with the edges of her sweater.

“I thought you were excited?” He raised his eyebrows at her, holding back a chuckle when she ducked her head. She was blinking rapidly, eyes wide as she continued her stare down of her knees.

“I thought so too?” She said quietly, after a few moments of thinking. She sighed. “I also didn’t think there’d be so many…” Someone whooped just outside her door and an incessant tapping started tapping at his window.

“People?” He finished for her, glancing at who was at his window to see Naruto grinning back at him, continuing his staccato beat. He flipped him off and returned his focus on the girl next to him. She had starting drumming her fingers against her bare knees. She had painted her nails a pale peach color. He reached over and put a hand over both of hers, noting how small they seemed underneath his and how soft the skin of her knees were when his fingers brushed against them. The tips of her fingers were cool against his skin. Or maybe he was just warm.

“It’ll be okay. I promise. Just stay close to me and after a bit we can leave if you really aren’t having fun.” She turned one of her hands around and laced her fingers with his. She gave them a squeeze before nodding, not looking up from their entwined fingers. He returned her squeeze before letting go to get out.

Hinata kept a firm grip on the sleeve of Sasuke’s dark jacket and kept her eyes wide as he lead them through the crowd of people.

The last time he had been to Choji’s house was when he had his twelfth birthday party here four years ago. The house looked the same but this was definitely a different kind of party than the one he had been throwing back then.

Most of the furniture had been pushed against the walls. There were white folding tables set up with snacks and drinks. She wrinkled her nose when they passed a little too closely to the punch and she felt the distinct burning scent of alcohol assaulting her. The music was loud, the bass pulsing so deeply it felt like her whole body pulsated with the rest of the house.

People were talking, faces split too wide in too large smiles as they laughed and joked, red solo cups in their hands as they milled about. Some people turned and even smiled at her when they recognized her to which she returned tentatively, never loosening her grip on Sasuke who seemed determined to cut straight through and out of the house. When they started crossing the threshold of the back door through the kitchen she realized why.

Choji’s house was built into the side of a hill. The sliding doors lead to a porch that had stairs that led down to an open deck that overlooked the city. Fairy lights were strung around the railing and Hinata felt her breath catch. Her hand fell away from Sasuke’s sleeve as she gaped. He paused when he felt her the absence of her hand.

It was quieter outside, the thumping music turning more into a gentle hum mixing with the voices of everyone who was standing around the porch. She happened to catch Sasuke out of the corner of her eye, pushing his unruly hair out of his face only for it to fall around him again, framing his features in that devastating way the other girls often spoke of in the bathroom between class periods.

Her pulse quickened when he saw she was watching him and he smirked. “Want a drink?”

* * *

 

Hinata was magic.

He was convinced.

Her eyes were still sparkling and he was stuck between deciding if it was because of the twinkling fairy lights or because Naruto was giving her some favorable attention at the moment. The blond was leaning in close so that they could hear each other and laughing often as they joked. She looked slight next to Naruto’s taller frame, even with the help of the slight heal of her boots. He stared when she started to rock on her feet, skirt of her dress brushing against her smooth legs and he remembered how feather soft her skin was when his hand had brushed against her knees when he’d taken her hand in the car earlier that night.

“Do you think she still has a crush on him? “ Sakura sidled up to him. She had been heavier handed with her makeup than Hinata had, winged eyeliner framing her eyes and sharpening her catlike gaze tenfold. He shrugged, still upset with her from before.  She sighed. “I wonder if he’s changed his mind about her. She’s not quite as mousy as she was last year.” He snorted.

“Do I detect a hint of jealousy?” He said so jokingly, but when she didn’t say anything after a while, he turned to study her. Really study her.

Sakura was watching Naruto, lips turned downward as he continued to laugh with Hinata. He thought back to their argument from earlier in the evening. She was gripping a red solo cup tightly, plastic crackling against the strain of her fingers. He recalled her aloof attitude towards Hinata.

“Shit, you are jealous.” She put her cup down on the railing and leaned back, weight balanced on her forearms but still keeping her eyes fixed on Naruto. She took a deep breath.

“Maybe. I don’t know. I don’t know how I feel.” She kicked at the ground, toeing at a knock in the wood of the deck beneath them. She was wearing cut-off jeans. It was September and she was wearing cut offs. He watched goose pimples raise on her arms as a cool breeze whirled around them. “He kissed me yesterday…” She said quietly, wary of eavesdroppers, though the closest group of people aside from Naruto and Hinata were standing closer to the stairs.

“Did you not want that?” He kept his tone neutral, unsure how to react at hearing that Naruto had finally made a move. She swayed to the gentle beat of the song that came up from the house.

“I just said I don’t know… I thought-“She sighed. “I had been kind of hoping you’d make a move before he did to not make it awkward if I jumped right on it.”

“Sakura-“

“I know. We’ve talked about it.” Naruto caught her eye then and his expression softened before he returned his focus on Hinata.

“What did you say?”

“Nothing. I walked away.”

* * *

 

She had broken her promise.

And Hanabi was going to be _mad_.

And she didn’t _care_.

The music had died down and the crowd had thinned out to a more manageable size as she went about the deck, swaying on her feet, losing her balance as she bent to pick up trash from the floor. Ino had enlisted she and Sakura to help in the clean-up which was the least she could do for all the _fun_ she had just had.

Sasuke had warned her to take it easy on the punch, surreptitiously grabbing a red cup with ice and a bottle of water as he spoke close to her ear. She shivered now at the memory of how hot his breath felt against the shell of her ear and she giggled, further falling into her lean and on to the deck with a soft thump.

“Hinata!” Ino rushed over, trash bag bumping against her knee in a rustle of plastic. Hinata turned over and looked up at the sky only to close her eyes because was it normal for the earth to be rotating so fast? Cool fingers pressed against her feverish skin and she sighed at the contact. Soothing. So soothing.

“Sasuke, weren’t you supposed to be taking care of her?” Ino barked out and it was all Hinata could do not to groan and try to roll away from the noise.

“I told her to take it easy.”

“A warning and actually taking care of her are two really different things dude.” Naruto piped up from somewhere farther away.

“Move. All of you are useless.” Sakura. Another set of cool hands against her neck and then surprisingly strong arms heaving her into a sitting position. “I know, I know, come on let’s get you some water.” Sakura’s tone was surprisingly gentle as she continued to murmur encouragements and lead her towards the living room.

A bottle of water was pushed into her hands and the thought of having to swallow something made her feel the telltale acidic taste of bile at the back of her throat. She whimpered. “No I’m-“

Sakura sighed, pushed Hinata back against the couch and into another pair of slender arms. Presumably Ino’s. “I’ll go look for some Gatorade.” She grumbled.

Hinata tried to focus on her breathing. The punch she had been drinking, though reeked of alcohol, had been deceptively sweet so she’d definitely had more than she should have. Especially since she’d never had more than a few sips of wine before. She counted the rotations to the circular motion Ino was massaging into her shoulder.

Another cup was pressing into her hands along with some aspirin. “Drink.”

“What time is it?” This was from a male voice though she couldn’t place it and didn’t dare turn her head from her hand as she tried to guide the pills to her mouth.

“Just about four and I have to be home soon. My dad is going to kill me…” Sakura stood and moved away from Hinata. She heard her saying something to someone but couldn’t make out the words. Then, with the same aloof tone she had been addressing Hinata the last few weeks: “We’re taking off. See you guys on Monday.”

* * *

 

It was six.

He could already see the sky shifting in color, light peaking from the distance as the sky durned a gradient of orange, yellow, and blue. Hinata’s phone had started buzzing about a half hour earlier, her little sister’s name flashing across the screen with a string of rainbow and unicorn emojis.

Hinata herself was curled into his side, breath coming in even puffs against his neck as she slept off the alcohol in her system.

He had to give her some credit. She had refused to throw up even though Ino and Shikamaru tried to reason with her that if she expelled some of the poison from her system she may feel better a little faster. Apparently, Hinata could be incredibly stubborn when all her inhibitions had been removed. Instead she had curled into his side like a cat, demanding he share the warmth of his jacket before passing out against him, arms circled around his torso in a grip he didn’t think her capable of.

She smelled of flowers, soap, and alcohol, her hair long since mussed and falling out of its sleek pony tail. Her mascara had smudged through the night and the glitter was no longer just on her eyelids but smeared across her face, sparkling against the growing light of sunrise.

She looked beautiful, skin sparkling and lips slightly parted in sleep. It didn’t cost Sasuke as much as he thought it would to admit this to himself. He tightened his hold on her when she shifted and reached behind her for the phone propped up on the arm of the couch.

_“Hinata? Oh thank god! Dad won’t be home until after lunch so you have time to get home-“_

“Hanabi?”

_“… Where’s my sister? Who are you? I’ll have you know that’s a state of the art phone in your hands right now and I can track her right now!”_

“Please calm down,” he spoke gruffly, shifting the phone to the ear farthest from Hinata so her sister’s voice wouldn’t wake her. “Hinata is fine. She’s asleep.”

He could almost hear her eyes narrowing when she next spoke. _“Who is this?”_

“Sasuke.” An audible sigh of relief on the other end before she was back to business.

 _“Look,_ Sasuke _,”_ she said his name like he was the slimiest thing that had ever dared speak to her. _“Hinata was supposed to be home hours ago. We’re both going to be dead if she’s not back before our dad is home so if you would please so kindly escort Cinderella home? The carriage has been turned back into a pumpkin and the mice have chores to do._ ”

The call disconnected with three beeps and Sasuke sank further into the cushions. Hinata stirred in his arms and he found her peering up at him blearily. “Am I in trouble?” She whispered, the fear, even in her groggy state, evident in her voice.

He took the time to smooth the hair from her face and she leaned into his touch. He smiled down at her. “Not yet.”

“Good…” She murmured, hiding her face in his neck. They stayed like that a moment longer, mockingbirds beginning their morning songs. “Did I… Do anything dumb in front of Naruto again?” This she asked quietly, the hesitation in her question clear.

Did she do something embarrassing? Did she confess again like she had at the end of their freshman year? He felt his heart contract painfully in his chest.

“No.”

She sighed, her arms coming around him tighter, breath evening out again as she steadily fell back to sleep. “Good,” she breathed. “Because that’s not even the case anymore…” She trailed off, breathing even as sleep overcame her again.

Sasuke ran a hand up and down her back and she turned over her sleepily mumbled words over in his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few days late. Please allow me some time to play catch up. 
> 
> I'll likely be all the way caught up by Sunday night. 
> 
> Note: I had an outburst on FFN (to put it simply) so I'll no longer be cross posting on there. These and any other future stories will be posted on here and tumblr only.


	17. Day 15: Pasta

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SasuHina Month Day 15: Pasta
> 
> High school AU part six

Hinata loved her nutrition class.

And usually, she didn’t mind her classmates.

But there was something about the prospect of cooking goodies in the middle of the day that had her classmates much more unruly than they usually were. She was certain that their instructor didn’t appreciate that much but for whatever reason she hardly tried to control them when they got in these moods.

Hinata sat rigidly next to Sakura who was pouring over the latest recipe that had been passed out. They had been partners in this class since the beginning of the semester. Hinata had discovered a natural talent for putting together food. Sakura, on the other hand, had discovered the only subject she couldn’t, for the life of her, master. In hopes of Hinata rubbing off some of her talents on to Sakura, their teacher had paired them together for their assignments.

The class was buzzing with excitement. The recipe that had been handed out was for a simple spaghetti and meat sauce but the prospect of extra carbs made everyone restless to get started.

Sasuke hadn’t explained why Sakura and Naruto ultimately decided to ride separately. From what Hinata could gather, just by watching, it seemed like there was some type of disagreement and obvious lines had been drawn. She couldn’t help but wonder if this was somehow her fault. She hadn’t tried to bring it up to Sasuke as she wasn’t sure how he’d react to her prying in something that was technically none of her business. But she hated watching the three of them like this. Sakura stiff and face puckered in a frown. Naruto melancholy and quiet. And Sasuke, snarky and biting even towards them.

The only person who seemed spared from Sasuke’s bad mood was Hinata and she wasn’t sure if she should feel as special as she did because of it, or upset that she seemed to be tearing apart a four year friendship. Sakura sat up suddenly, pushing the recipe towards Hinata as the teacher called the class to attention.

“Alright everyone, ingredients have been set up in their usual spot at the center of the room. Please remember to clean _all_ of your work stations before the class period ends.”

The room filled with the sound of chairs scraping against tile as everyone went to their work stations. Hinata trailed behind Sakura, running her fingers through her hair to pull it up into a ponytail.

“W-would you like to do the sauce? It’s probably the more interesting of what we have to do…” Hinata offered quietly once they’d both found their aprons. Sakura shrugged, pushing the plate of ground beef in her direction before turning to fill a pot with water.

* * *

 

Sasuke blinked down at the offered plate, still warm against his finger-tips as steam rose steadily from the pile of noodles and sauce. Sakura had stalked off towards the courtyard instead of staying in the cafeteria where he and Naruto had been waiting for them for lunch. Hinata had kept her eyes lowered as she handed him the plate of their latest project.

He took a tentative bite.

The sauce was good.

The pasta was underdone.

He could take a guess as to who did what on this one. Instead of making a comment he hummed appreciatively and smiled down at Hinata. She pushed her hair out of her face and returned his smile in kind but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. Naruto sighed next to them.

“I think I’ll try to find Sakura and keep her company. I’ll see you guys in class.”

Hinata watched him go and a silence settled over her and Sasuke. Not uncommon but it felt heavier than it had since they’d started hanging out with each other casually. She fiddled with the edge of one of her text books and he knew what she was thinking before she asked her question.

“Is Sakura… mad at me?” Sasuke clenched his jaw, immediately going on the defensive for Hinata.

“Did she say something to you? Because if she did we’ll have to have a talk.” Hinata shook her head, long hair rustling against the fabric of her sweater. She scooted closer to him on the bench they had been sharing, lowering her voice to a soft murmur.

“She hasn’t said a word to me in almost two weeks. Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed…”

He had.

He was just hoping he had been distracting enough to defer her attention to him whenever the four of them were together. He lowered his voice to match hers.

“She may be more annoyed with me than with you.” Her brows furrowed at his words and he wondered if he should be sharing this with her. If maybe he should say something else to keep her oblivious to the whole Sakura situation. She studied his expression, eyes narrowed before widening in sudden realization.

“Sakura is upset I-I’ve… That we’ve… Become friends?” Her hands started to shake in her lap and he placed his over hers to steady them, rubbing his thumb against the soft flesh at the top of her hands.

“It’s… a little more complicated than that.” She bit her lip as she looked up at him, his thumb still rubbing circles into her skin. A soft blush dusted her features as she watched him.

“Sasuke…” She licked her lips and she seemed to be tilting her face towards him. Her eyes became hooded as she watched him. His heart picked up in pace as he felt himself gravitate towards her. Her skin under his fingers was so soft. The rest of her was probably soft to. Her breath was warm and smelled faintly of the tomato sauce from the spaghetti.

The bell rang then. Signaling the end of the lunch period and whatever it was that was about to happen.

Hinata startled, pushing herself away forcefully as she gathered her belongings. She mumbled a hurried apology before darting from their seat, up the stairs and finally disappearing down the Language hallway.

Sasuke blinked after her a few moments, students filing out of the lunch room and leaving him alone with the memory of soft skin in his hands and the gentle puff of her breath against his lips. He clenched his hands into fists as his pulse thrummed against his eardrums.

_‘Oh…’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now since I'm officially a week behind all rules have been thrown out the window
> 
> All 31 days will be completed though.


	18. Day 16: Unimpressed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SasuHina Month 2k17
> 
> Day 16: Unimpressed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playing catch up now.
> 
> It's crunch time.

**Day 16: Unimpressed**

“Look at his stance. He looks so graceful.”

“I wish my parents would’ve let me start practicing at home too.”

“But how much of it is practice and talent? I’ve heard his brother is a prodigy so what if he’s the same? I bet he’ll get top marks in all of our classes.”

There was a collective dreamy sigh and Hinata couldn’t help eavesdropping. She had done her best to keep her head bent low and focused on the assignment the teacher had passed out. Her father had warned her that if she didn’t start off strong at the Academy that he’d pull her from the classes and hire a private tutor. She was already essentially a prisoner in her own home and any time spent away from the watchful eyes of her guards were a vacation that she wasn’t willing to give up.

They were only in their third day of Academy classes and she had kept her steely resolve to push herself as hard as she could to keep coming. She was only half disheartened when she found herself to be truly lacking compared to the other students when it came to physical prowess but that would come with time. It had to. It _had_ to come with time.

An excited squeal took her away from her thoughts and she jerked her head up towards the window where some of her other peers had gathered. The class next door had let out to start their marksman lessons and an exclamation from one of the girls who sat closer to the windows had had most of the others rushing over to push their noses against the glass to see what was going on. They wouldn’t be allowed out to practice throwing shuriken until later in the afternoon so there was a fluttering excitement that danced across her peers as they caught a glimpse of what their lessons would be like.

She sighed, pushing herself from the table to join them, their sensei preoccupied with helping another student with a particularly difficult problem. She approached the group that mostly ignored her and pushed herself up to the balls of her feet to get a better view of what the group was watching.

Outside, in the early afternoon light, was a group of children. The other class. Lined up and watching each other take a turn at throwing at a marked target. Apart from the group stood a boy, not much taller than her with a messy mop of dark hair swaying in the breeze. He held one of the sharp tools aloft in his hand, fingers bent gracefully and wrist relaxed in the way the told of many hours of practice. With ease, he pulled his hand back, body fluid as he followed through in his throw and let loose the deadly weapon that really a child his age should not be handling. She blinked and thought of her cousin and her sister, back home and practicing the same moves with ease.

She pressed her lips into a thin line before turning from the window and finding her seat.

Just further proof of her ineptitude and another body for her father to compare her to. Wonderful.


	19. Day 17: Cookie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SasuHina Month 
> 
> Day 17: Cookie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> High School AU Part Seven

**Day 17: Cookie**

Sasuke drummed his fingers nervously against the coffee table in the Uzamaki house.

Naruto’s mother had opened all the windows in the house and she could be heard humming happily to herself as she did some yard work just outside one of the front windows. Naruto sat across from Sasuke, wrestling with the cables to an Xbox, muttering to himself how it didn’t make sense to have to put everything away after each use for the sake of making things look tidy. His friend’s frowned deepened as he untangled one knot to find he had unintentionally created another. Sasuke sighed, reaching for the cables and yanking them none too gently from Naruto’s grasp.

Sasuke began untangling wires deftly and Naruto leaned back onto the palms of his hands, wincing as he was handed a freed wire. “Thanks,” he muttered as he started hooking up the gaming device.

Things hadn’t improved from the party. He had started separating himself from Naruto and Sakura. Partly because of the tension between the two of them and partly because of the unresolved Hinata issue. He had started spending even more of his free time (and not so free time if he were being honest) at Hinata’s side or sending her text messages. Their steady stream of conversation getting him through the times when they did not share classes together or when he was at home. Sakura had been ignoring him and he her and Naruto was very much stuck in the middle along with his own feelings towards their friends.

It was, in short, a fucking mess.

And then there was the other thing.

The actual Hinata thing.

The thing that had snuck up on him and once he realized it was there he had no fucking _clue_ what to do.

He had had crushes before. Had watched the girls he’d been attracted to and let the interest fizzle away when he realized they weren’t compatible with each other and moved on with life. He’d watched girls watch him. The hopeful gleam in their eyes whenever they noticed he watched back but there was something about the eagerness in them that had shut down any possibilities of anything romantic between them.

He didn’t want to be lusted after. He didn’t want to lust. It just didn’t seem meaningful and like a waste of time though it’d probably, if nothing else, at least relieve some of the pent up energy and stress he’d had if he had a couple of meaningless trysts every now and again.

But he wasn’t an idiot.

Meaningless was hardly ever meaningless. Especially at their age. It was too easy to get your heart and your mind wrapped up in something that is just physical and then the idea and the relationship get corrupted and then feelings would be hurt.

Sasuke knew he was rude. Obnoxious. Pretentious even. But he would never set out to wrap someone up like that and break them. It was a part of the reason he had made it clear from the beginning of their friendship that he and Sakura becoming “a thing” was not a viable option. Especially since he’d been well aware of Naruto’s crush on her even before Naruto was aware of it.

But Hinata…

She wasn’t like any of them.

He knew that when he’d watched her on the last day of classes of their freshman year. Chin tilted upward, shoulders squared, and pale eyes focused solely on the blond who stood next to him, oblivious as ever. He remembered noting that her hands only trembled slightly as she cleared her throat to get Naruto’s attention and how her voice was clear as a song bird as she confessed her crush to him. He remembered Naruto’s nervous chuckle and could tell by the way his friend had rubbed the back of his head that he was doing his best to remember the girl in front of him which was odd even for Naruto who was usually pretty good about keeping up with their peers.

Naruto had floundered for words then and Sasuke watched as her shoulders drooped and her eyes had reddened and shined with unshed tears. The hall around them had hushed as they watched the scene unfold. He only realized now that she didn’t start crying then probably because of all the practice she’d had at holding herself back and he hadn’t given her enough credit back then. Still probably wasn’t giving her enough credit.

_“It’s okay N-Naruto… I understand.”_

He realized now how brave she had been. To approach Naruto like that had taken a lot of nerve. Nerve that whenever Sasuke opened his mouth around her, he was coming to find he didn’t really have. The thought of her rejecting him outright and putting distance between them made his heart feel hollow with preemptive loneliness.

He wished things were like before Hinata.

But then he’d realized things before Hinata also didn’t include Hinata and he hated everything.

“Dude.” Sasuke snapped back to reality. A tray had been placed in front of them with some misshaped cookies his mother had probably deposited a few moments ago. Naruto held one in between two fingers and up to his mouth but, instead of taking a bite, he was watching Sasuke with keen blue eyes. “You still with me? You didn’t even say hi to my mom.”

“Sorry,” Sasuke muttered, reaching for a cookie and taking a tentative bite. Despite their shape they weren’t bad. Not good. But definitely edible. Naruto narrowed his eyes at him.

“Okay man, I know a lot has been going on between all of us. Are we going to talk or what?” Naruto put his cookie down and crossed his arms to give Sasuke a stern look.

“Since when are you all about resolving things with words and talking things through?”

“Since you called Sakura a bitch and now none of us are right with each other. Since Hinata started taking the brunt of Sakura’s cold shoulder. Did you know Sakura ditched Hinata in the middle of one of their nutrition assignments and she had to do the whole meal on her own? That’s not fair man and she’s not even directly involved.”

He had heard. He had just hoped Naruto hadn’t and had hoped to confront Sakura about her behavior later. Much later.

He swallowed his bite and started picking the cookie apart, careful to keep the crumbs on the tray.

“Sakura has a crush on me.” He started and Naruto snorted.

“I may not be the brightest but I’m not stupid, Sasuke, anyone with eyes can see that.”

“It’s not just that.” Sasuke continued, keeping his gaze focused on the crumbs and the pile of raisins he’d started. “It’s… I think I like Hinata.” He shook his head, working his jaw as he looked up to see Naruto still looking at him. He wasn’t smiling, rather, he was studying Sasuke intensely. He sighed. “Those are the wrong words but I’m not sure how else to say it. I _like_ like her. A lot. And I’m not sure what to do and Sakura is definitely taking it out on Hinata.”

Naruto blinked a few times, as though to clear his vision before his face split into a large grin. “Are you admitting to having actual feelings for a _girl_?” Sasuke threw a raisin at Naruto who deflected it easily.

“It’s nothing out of the ordinary.” He mumbled.

“Yeah, but you’ve never admitted to liking anyone.” His grin softened into a smile. “Thanks for sharing… I didn’t think you’d ever say anything.” Sasuke snorted. Of course Naruto would’ve figured it out on his own. That’s what pseudo brothers were for. 

“That makes sense too. Sakura taking it out on Hinata.” He said, allowing himself to fall back on to the throw rug of the living room. He threw his arms up before letting them fall to his face, rubbing hard at his eyes. “She probably doesn’t know what to do with Hinata and she knows you have a crush on her. We’ve uh… sort of talked about it. I just wouldn’t have expected her to react like this.”

“It’s stupid.” Sasuke said, anger bubbling up inside of him, defensive of Hinata even now with Sakura not present.

“It _is_ stupid. So what do we do?” Sasuke shifted, pulling his legs out of their crisscrossed position and stretching them out under the table.

“I wish I knew.”

“Are you gonna tell her? Hinata, that is.” Sasuke’s phone buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled it out to see a picture of a funny t-shirt, Hinata’s silver wrist watch just at the corner of the photo from where she was holding it out to get all the text. He smiled down at it, shooting a quick quip and an eye-rolling emoji.

“Yes. Eventually.”


	20. Day 18: Snapchat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SasuHina Month 2k17
> 
> Day 18: Snapchat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> High School AU Part Eight

**Day 18: Snapchat**

Hinata squinted down at her phone, Ino hovering over her shoulder as she talked her through the new application she had just downloaded. The main screen of the app being simple enough. It looked very similar to her regular camera application but Ino swore up and down that this was way more fun that that or Instagram.

“The filters are cool and some people do cool stories!” Ino said in a rush of words, pulling her own phone out and setting it side by side with Hinata’s.

“Stories…?”

“Yes! So like, the app does some and they use your location to show you relevant stories and happenings and you can see your friend’s stories too. The filters are super cute’'! Oh, let’s Christine yours with a flower crown selfie. Let me show you.”

Ino grabbed the metal of Hinata’s desk and dragged her loudly across the aisle and right up to her own desk. Hinata looked around at their instructor who didn’t bat an eye at them, instead she continued typing away at her computer, brow furrowed in the stress of having to enter grades for their final projects.

“Okay, so here’s how you do it.” Hinata followed along as Ino walked her through the different options she could pull up and how to do it. She added a few friends for her and showed her how to browse through people’s stories and was warned that if she ever screen captured anything that particular person would get an alert. Ino pressed their faces together as she held out Hinata’s phone and an odd pink haze enveloped them on the screen along with digital flower crowns appearing across their foreheads. Ino giggled and Hinata wrinkled her nose at it.

“It makes our eyes so shiny.” She commented, reclaiming her phone to scroll through peoples stories, quickly making sure her phone was muted before starting on Choji’s story.

“It does! So neat right? Who needs make up when filters exist?” Hinata smiled as Shikamaru’s story loaded next, showing a short video he’d uploaded a couple of minutes ago.

Shikamaru had a free period right now along with Naruto and Sasuke. Naruto was grinning into the camera, mouth moving as he held up a metal slinky. She recognized the back of the school where there was a series of stairs that lead down to the practice fields and the track. The next clip showed Naruto placing the slinky down on the stairs. Sasuke leaned up against the railing, holding his own phone and likely also immortalizing the moment.

The next clip started up showing Naruto running after the slinky as it made its trek down the stairs, the blonde’s arms flailing around him as he followed the toy excitedly.

Kiba was spluttering next to Ino then but she didn’t take her eyes off the screen. Though she soon understood why he had started laughing as she watched Naruto take a nose dive on to the pavement when he tripped on the last step trying to keep up with the slinky.

“Oh!”

She got a notification at the top of her screen of a message Sasuke had sent. Ino had just happened to turn towards Hinata’s screen at that exact moment.

“Oh! Private message! Can I see with you?” Hinata bit her lip. She didn’t think Sasuke would send her anything she couldn’t share but…

But there was something about sharing private conversations between herself and Sasuke that made her hesitant. She usually didn’t care about things like that. She usually didn’t even care about sharing her passcode to her phone with anyone.

But Sasuke was different.

She didn’t enjoy the idea of sharing _anything_ about Sasuke with anyone.

She couldn’t quite justify this feeling so she leaned closer to Ino to pull up the private messages. She waited for the purple square to load and tapped it open to see a picture of Naruto, sitting on the counter of one of the boys rooms, t-shirt bloody, and a blood soaked paper towel held up against his face. Naruto had his head tilted back and he was grinning and giving a thumbs up. The caption reading: Tfw you eat it chasing a slinky down concrete stairs.

“Oh my god,” Ino guffawed, throwing her head back as an unladylike snort escaped her. Hinata allowed herself to giggle freely then. The blood was alarming but Naruto appeared to be in good spirits. She snapped a quick picture of Ino laughing and replied to them.

Sasuke didn’t wait long to comment on her new social media profile and she knew they’d probably start up a third string of messages on here to accompany their already established text messages and Facebook messages. She smiled as she watched the short clip Sasuke sent of him rolling his eyes before switching to the front facing camera to show Naruto with his shirt in the sink as Shikamaru held down the faucet to keep the water running to try and rinse the blood out.

 


	21. Day 19: Teammates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SasuHina Month 2k17 
> 
> Day 19: Teammates

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Larkspur drabble

**Day 19: Teammates**

Hinata shifted the warm tray in her arms to keep the brownies she’d made earlier in the evening from slipping past the cellophane wrap and on to the floor. Sasuke stood next to her, arm extended as he pressed the bell to the Naruto and Ino’s house, his other arm clutching a reusable grocery bag clanking noisily with the drinks they’d brought.

Ino had decided that, since they were now official a couple of couple friends that it’d only be appropriate for them to start doing couple things together. Where this logic came from she wasn’t sure but she wasn’t going to say no to spending time with Sasuke friends. Ino had grown on her since that first impromptu bar outing when Naruto had passed the Barr and Sasuke was already in good spirits when Naruto was around and they could banter with each other.

Ino pulled open the door, blond hair pooling around her shoulders and face split into a wide grin as she ushered both of them inside.

“We went to the thrift store and they had so many board games we could decide!” Ino explained excitedly as they rounded the corner of their entry into their living room to find Naruto sitting on the floor in front of their coffee table, worn boxes of various games strewn around him. Ino came around the couch and picked up a came with a graphic of a men and a woman, back to back and holding up stereotypical items of each sex.

Sasuke groaned. “Ino, that’s a stupid game.”

“Well, too bad! This one was the most complete one and I’m curious! Girls against boys!” She sing-songed as she kicked some of the other boxes out of her way. Hinata shifted the tray again.

“Ah, Ino. I brought-“

“Oh! I’m so sorry Hinata, come on we can put those in the kitchen. Do you guys want anything to drink?” Hinata giggled, Ino suddenly remembering she was technically hosting as she lead Hinata to the back room to put the brownies away.

Once the snacks were put away for later she grabbed a bottle of water and went to settle herself next to Sasuke who was accepting a can of cider from Naruto. They only played two rounds of battle of the sexes, Ino immediately getting frustrated with the questions that were deemed common knowledge for each gender.

“What? This is the most sexist piece of crap game I have ever-“

“I told you it was stupid now can we play something else?”

“We also got a pretty complete game of taboo?” Naruto piped from where he sat reclined against the sofa. Hinata shifted closer to Sasuke as Ino spoke next.

“Yes, that sounds good! Same teams!” Sasuke snorted.

“No, we’re switching. I don’t want to play with Naruto he always uses the buzz words. I want to be Hinata’s partner.”

“What? No fair! He’s you’re friend! Hinata and I have already built up a good rapport!”

“Are you kidding? He’s my _friend?_ He’s _your_ boyfriend!”

Naruto sighed, falling back against the couch, rolling his eyes dramatically before shooting Hinata a playful wink. He didn’t seem upset that neither his best friend nor his girlfriend were too keen on the idea of being on a team with him for a simple game of Taboo. She laughed out loud when Naruto chimed in to say: “If I’m good enough to sleep with I’m good enough to be on a team with you babe.”

Which caused them to go down a really weird rabbit hole of a conversation that had Hinata in tears, holding her sides as she leaned against Sasuke’s warm frame as he himself shook with restrained laughter.


	22. Day 20: Milestone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SasuHina Month 2k17
> 
> Day 20: Milestone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Larkspur drabble

**Day 20: Milestone**

Sasuke had been dropping hints for what he felt like had to be an eternity.

Hinata would be typing diligently on her laptop, work station set up on his kitchen table as she prepared for her Monday meetings with her latest clients. He’d drop casual questions.

How much are you paying for rent again? Do you like that neighborhood your place is at? How often have you been back since we’d started seeing each other? Do you even keep food in that refrigerator?

She’d answer each question patiently, hardly pausing in her typing as she continued with her work.

Slowly her things had started showing up at his place. An extra set of sweats for when she just didn’t feel like going home. An extra set of work clothes for when they had exhausted themselves on a weekday and she didn’t have enough time to run to her apartment to shower and change. Her makeup bag now sat next to his shaving supplies. Her preferred soaps and shampoos had made a home along with his own in his shower caddy. She kept a pair of running shoes under his bed. Her straightener had found a permanent spot on his dresser.

She had essentially already moved in, neither of them commenting on it as they went their separate ways for work, their farewell sealed with a chaste kiss and a promise to see the other later. She had essentially moved in and all he had to do was make it official.

Just ask her.

She even already had a _key_.

All he had to do was ask her to not renew her lease at her place and that’d be that. If she wanted they could even find a bigger place so they could integrate their things more wholly and that new place would be entirely theirs. Together. Hinata and Sasuke.

But he was having such a hard time just _asking_.

 _“You’re overthinking it dude. You said it yourself, she’s already essentially moved in. There’s no point in both of you guys paying rent if she’s always at your place_.”

He knew Naruto was right. The question was always at the time of his tongue.

When she’d come home after him on particularly long days. When she was cooking breakfast on Sunday mornings. When she was snuggled up close to him just before either of them drifting off to sleep.

Always right there, ready for him to put out into the world but he kept holding back.

They’d been together for only a little over a year. Maybe this was too soon. But then there was that voice at the back of his head insisting that it wasn’t and he needed her to be as close to him as possible at all times and her cohabitating with him was a part of that.

She was standing in his bathroom, brush pulling the tangles out of her hair as she leaned against the sink. Her camisole was tucked into her slacks and she shifted on her bare feet as she hummed along with the morning radio. She caught him watching her and smiled as she reached for her straightener.

“When is your lease up?” He said, clearing his throat as he continued to watch. She paused for only a moment before sectioning off some of her hair to run the straightener through.

“In October, why?” He hummed and watched as she methodically ran the hot plates through her hair. How she managed to bend her arms around her head to get everything was beyond him. She put the straightener down on the counter when he didn’t respond and looked at him expectantly.

He drummed his fingers against his denim covered knees. She cocked her head to the side, quirking a brow at him as the silence stretched on. He swallowed.

“I, uh, was thinking that maybe it’d be a good idea if you didn’t renew.” He said, looking away from her and swiping at his phone that had started to buzz with a series of text messages from Ino.

“Oh? And where would I stay?” She asked, a playful lilt to her voice and he smiled down at his screen. The fluttering of nervousness immediately dissipating at her response.

“I was thinking that maybe you could ask your boyfriend to shack up. You know… to cut costs.” She giggled, moving to grab her straightener to finish her hair. .

“I don’t know if he’d go for it seeing as I spend so much time with you.” He pushed himself from the bed, tossing his phone on to the mattress behind him as he strode towards the bathroom. He wrapped his arms around her waist, mindful of the hot tool she held in her hand as she placed a kiss to her temple. She sighed, leaning into him and immediately ditching her straightener again in favor of tilting her head towards him to accept more kisses.

“Move in with me.” He breathed against the shell of her ear and he felt a shiver work its way through her body.

“Okay.”


	23. Day 21: Opposites

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SasuHina Month 2k17
> 
> Day 21: Milestones
> 
> Superhero AU

**Day 21: Opposites**

She was a hero.

A beacon of hope. A symbol of righteousness and justice. She fought for the underdog. She shone bright and brought the warmth of the sun where she went.

She _was_ light. The human embodiment of the life giving star that shone brightly in the day to light up the streets and warm the earth to allow it the perfect temperature to incubate and nurture all living things on it. Handpicked by the gods to receive a piece of that star’s power to help keep the peace on her beloved planet.

How could she have allowed herself to succumb to _him_?

The shadow creature’s pet. Born from the hatred and the darkness that hides behind the corners of her star’s light. He was a cold and angry force. Unforgiving in his pursuit to bring chaos to her land.

She should hate him.

She should spit anytime she mentions his name.

Instead, she groaned as deft fingers expertly found the front zipper to her jumpsuit, one hand tugging at the metal as the other pressed strong fingers into her hip. She tilted her head up towards him, sighing into his mouth when he leaned forward to capture her lips in his. He had always been a looming, foreboding figure from a distance. The monsters he unleashed and nightmares he provoked the only signs he was in the area.

But up close.

Up close he was warm, sinewy muscle, hard against her hands as she tugged at the sides of his trench coat, pushing it away from his body so the she could dig at the hem of his button up shirt. He broke away from her mouth when her cool fingers made contact with the flesh of his stomach.

“Solis,” her alter ego’s name sounded sinful and reverent coming from his mouth as it did now, in a hushed and gravely tone and egged her on. She pulled her hands from his shirt and started to pop the buttons of his shirt open with an increasing sense of urgency.

This had started about two months prior.

She had just defeated the latest of his shadowy creations and was surprised to find he had not disappeared into the night as he usually did. Her powers allowed her to glow bright in the darkness of night but even so his own gifts seemed to cancel hers out. His shadowy figure eating at the edges of her light as he approached. She had lifted her chin, her golden mask covering half of her features in the same way his black one did. In her masked state, she had a confidence and air about her that she normally kept hidden in her regular life.

_“Why are you doing this, Umbra? What purpose do you have to terrorize our people?”_

_“I only wish to avenge my brother.”_

She had been surprised at the sound of his voice. Low but clear. He sounded young.

 _“Please do not get in my way.”_ He had turned from her then and before she could expand her light to try to reveal more of him, he had gone.

She had thought of this exchange often in the next few weeks. Every time he unleashed another monstrosity she was watchful, hoping to catch him and for another conversation. She got her wish. More times over.

 _“What happened to your brother?”_ He had kept his distance this time, but she’d made sure to take note of his position before defeating his monster. Umbra always watched to see what would happen even though the end results were always the same. She saw, just underneath his mask, a pair of dark eyes, filled with a melancholy she’d often seen in her own reflection. Her heart stuttered in her chest.

_“The light burned him up.”_

This had bothered her and Umbra had consumed her thoughts which steadily bled into her non-masked life. Her sister had wrinkled her nose at her when she’d brought it up.

_“Who cares what Umbra’s motives are? He’s literally a shadow monster? The kind kids freak out about and ask their parents to check under the bed for?”_

Tonight had been different.

His monster defeated much earlier than usual and he lingered, seeking her out much like the first time and how she had been doing recently. When he was but twenty feet away from her his shadows receded, pulling the darkness towards him and dissipating into the normal shadows of the night. He’d put his powers aside. She wondered briefly if it was a trap but when he made no move to come closer, standing still and watching her shine, she relented. Slowly she had gathered her light towards her, the final glow of her skin dissipating and leaving them both shrouded in moonlight.

When he still did not approach she moved closer, wary of his stature and foreboding figure even with their powers out of the picture. She was on the petite side compared to him and she wondered if it’d seem cowardly of her to pull the mace from her key chain to keep in a closed fist as she drew nearer. She ran out of time to decide as she stood toe to toe with Umbra. His arms held loosely at his sides as he regarded her, dark eyes drinking in her face in a way that caused her face to flush self-consciously. This was the first time she had questioned her decision on a white jumpsuit as his eyes raked themselves down across her body in an appreciative manner.

Not to say that she wasn’t enjoying his wardrobe choices as much as he seemed to be enjoying hers. His own costume much more simply put together than hers with his black trench coat, button down, slacks, and boots. The darkness suited him, his pale skin contrasting sharply against the fabric.

“Solis…” She stiffened at the sound of her name. He swallowed, reaching a hand out towards her face. She winced at the movement and he paused, hand hovering between them as they stared each other down.

“Why are you doing this?” She asked softly, reaching her hand up to the back of his to bring it towards her the rest of the way. She pressed her cheek against his palm, keeping it there with her own hand as she looked up at him. His hands were calloused and rough against the delicate flesh of her face. He licked his lips as he started rubbing small circles into her cheek with his thumb.

“My brother shone with the sun’s light before you.” He said and her eyes widened at that. He pursed his lips at her. “He sacrificed himself for them… And for what?” His eyes flashed red with the anger she was used to seeing in his monsters. “They spit on his name and… they’ll do the same to you. Why do you fight for them, Solis?”

She felt her mouth go dry.

She had thought herself lucky. To have been gifted these abilities. To be able to stave off Umbra and the shadow people’s evil…

But what good was she as a hero if she were only perpetuating the pain that brought Umbra to be?

His eyes had softened again and her bravery kicked in as she took a step closer to him. “I fight for the people I love… If there’s a chance I can save anyone, I’ll take it.” She could feel her eyes burning with the resolve of her promise to the gods. “Even if it means my own life.”

She’s not sure who moved first, but suddenly she was pushed up against the wall and his mouth was hot against her skin and she couldn’t push him away. _Wouldn’t_ push him away.

Not with eyes that held so much pain. Not with how he whispered her name against her own skin as he trailed open mouthed kisses down her neck. Or when his hands went around the back of her legs and hoisted her up so that she could wrap them around his waist as their kisses deepened.

So there she was. Allowing herself to be undressed by the demon of the city and not caring in the slightest as she panted, chest heaving forcefully as each article of clothing was being removed from both of them. The grit of the red brick behind her scratching her back and her arms as she tightened her hold on him.

She could let him touch her like this forever.

But as soon as this all had started it stopped. The brushes of his hands against her skin slowing to a stop as his mouth pressed a steadying kiss to her lips before pulling away. He was breathing just as hard as she was and she could see the regret in his eyes when she opened hers.

“We should stop,” he rasped. “This is a bad idea.” She couldn’t help the whine that escaped her and he chuckled at the sound, leaning forward to press his forehead into the crook of her shoulder. “This is a bad idea,” he repeated into her skin.

“It _is_ a bad idea,” she murmured as her heart rate slowly came down and her thoughts started to clear from her lusting haze. She sighed, ignoring the throb of her core as she untangled her legs from his waist and he lowered her to her feet. She zipped up the front of her suit and checked on her mask to verify it hadn’t gotten so askew in their heavy petting that she’d been revealed.

Umbra didn’t make a move to fix his clothing, only watched in silence as Hinata put herself together. Once everything was in order she blinked up at him. “You’re… not going to stop are you?” She couldn’t help the small piece of hope that leaked into her tone.

“I can’t…” He sighed, reaching to bring one of her hands up to cover his chest, just above his heart. “Especially if taking the sun away from you means saving you… I can’t.” His heart thumped quickly against her fingers and she allowed herself one final kiss before darting off in the direction of home.


	24. Day 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 22: Reincarnation 
> 
> SasuHina month continues with this medieval au half idea with just a hint of reincarnation thrown in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unedited.

**Day 22: Reincarnation**

Dawn peeked its head over the mountained horizon indicating the beginning of the new day.

And the worst day of Hinata’s life.

Warmth from the first of the sun’s rays touched her cheeks, drawing Hinata to consciousness. Her body protested around her and she shifted, lifting her head from the circle of her arms to squint blearily towards the offending light. She was shivering and her clothes felt damp against her body as she slowly became aware of where she was.

Her eyes throbbed in their sockets and her throat was dry and scratchy and almost revolted when she tried to swallow. Her tongue felt heavy and sticky in her throat and tasted sour as she squeezed her eyes shut to will the sun to ascend into the sky slower so she wouldn’t have to come out of hiding.

Her joints felt brittle as she pushed herself up from her crouched position, using the tree she had been leaning against as support. The bark of which bit roughly against the palm of her hand as she supported her weight and tried to gain her bearings.

Naruto was getting married.

Naruto was getting _married_ today.

To the town healer. The beautiful as a flower, sharp as a tack, take no prisoners, certified badass Sakura and Hinata was in Hell.

She had done her best to keep her composure. She had ridden to the castle with her family in their carriage. They were to be esteemed guests of the king and queen for coming nuptials of their only son. She had smile politely at other noble guests and kept her head bowed in the presence of the royalty (despite Kushina’s favoritism towards her, she knew her place in the courts).

She had counted the days, carefully avoiding Naruto and Sakura despite Ino and her sister’s begging her to come see Sakura’s dress or watch her pick out how she would wear her dress or help her chose the flowers to her bouquet. Last night, her carefully constructed mask of polite happiness started to fissure and crack.

She had sat between her cousin and sister at dinner. Neji murmuring just under his breath on the arrival of the Uchiha clan that afternoon and how inappropriate it was for them to have missed the week’s celebrations considering the younger son’s relation to the prince. Hinata had hummed in acknowledgement but wasn’t paying attention, eyes focused on Naruto and Sakura towards the head of the table.

The pair had their heads bent together in conversation and Sakura shook with barely restrained giggles as Naruto whispered something in to her ear. Hinata shifted, craning her neck to watch as Kushina chimed in and laughing along with them as the King rolled his eyes at the banter.

She was already fitting in with them so well.

She couldn’t handle that.

Hinata had pushed herself from the table, citing fatigue as she basically ran out of the dining room, though was hardly noticed by the others as the merry mood was abundant throughout the party. The sentinels at the gates didn’t flinch as she rushed passed them, face hot as thick tears fell from her lashes and trickled down to her chin. She was able to make it to the edge of the forest before the first sob escaped her lips.

She had wandered until she had found this spot, just passed a narrow creek that was shallow enough she could cross without completely ruining her skirt. Her back popped loudly in the relative calm of the morning and she wondered if anyone noticed she didn’t return last night.

As though to answer her question there was a snap of a twig on the ground and rustle from the trees to her left. She froze, palm still balancing her weight against the trees as a tall figure broke through the brush and in the clearing. She sighed, relaxing against the trunk of the tree when she caught sight of Sasuke, swiping at his dark hair and eyes scanning his immediate surrounding until her saw her.

His body visibly relaxed, shoulders drooping as he reached up and pushed his hand through his hair.

“Hinata.” The relief in his voice caused new tears to well up in Hinata’s eyes again, painful and searing as they pushed passed her lashes and on to her face. Watching her face crumple, Sasuke quickly closed the distance between them in several quick strides, sword clanking against his armor when he reached out and pulled her into his embrace.

She clutched at the soft fabric of his cloak and sobbed freely, pressing her face into his chest as his arms tightened around her. Seeing him and hearing his concern opening a new floodgate of emotions she had been ignoring. She had been focused solely on her sorrow at losing what she was sure was her true love that she hadn’t stop to think what her disappearance might mean for her friends and family.

Sasuke murmured reassurances into the crown of her head and she felt warmed by the care he was showing her when really he had no reason to. In fact, he should be resenting her for displaying such emotion in front of him. She was grateful for him and his patience with her. When she had calmed down enough she pulled away from him, eyes downcast and ashamed of what she allowed happen.

“How did you know where to find me?” She kept her grip on his cloak, eyes focused on the deep navy of the fabric beneath her fingers. He sighed, reaching around her arms and lifting her chin so that she would look at him.

In his eyes she saw a rare gentleness he had offered only to her a handful of times in the past. She felt her lip begin to wobble at that and he pressed his own into a thin line.

“I figured you’d be upset,” he confessed, letting go of her chin and taking a decided step back, creating a distance between them she hated herself for. “I came to find you after I’d seen my mother settled. I had expected you to be with your sister. Everyone is very worried. Poor Sakura has threatened to cancel the wedding if you’re not recovered by noon.” Hinata gasped, Sasuke’s teasing lilt causing her to smack her open palm against his chest though there was no force behind the hit. He snickered. “Ah, I see. This was your intention all along. Say, you don’t happen to have Naruto hanging around?” He craned his neck around her as though he were looking for something. “It’s quite an ingenious plan for our useless prince…”

“T-That’s not what’s happening at all!” She pouted at him as he continued chuckling slightly, shoulders bouncing slightly with each laugh.  

“I apologize. Please forgive me…” His voice softened. “But everyone is worried about you and…” He reached up and pushed some hair behind one of her ears. “We should get back.”

* * *

 

Hinata had kept her head lowered as she was ushered back into the castle, Hanabi at her elbow with soft reprimands as their attendants went through the process of getting her cleaned up.

“You should be more considerate, sister.” Hanabi said after she noticed the droop to Hinata’s shoulders as they made their way to the hall where the wedding ceremony would take place. The walls were decorated in the oranges and reds mimicking fire, the symbol of their land. Hinata hummed in response.

She knew her sister was thinking of the Uchiha who sat closer to the front of the room then their family did. One day she would sit among them, and, based off of Sasuke’s recent behavior, this would not be a bad thing for her. She would have a good life. But she couldn’t help the crushing hopelessness that filled her chest as she took her seat next to her sister.

Her father only spared her a brief glance, likely to be sure she looked the part of dutiful daughter before turning his attention back to the front of the room. She closed her eyes and took a steadying breath.

This was not the end of the world.

This was _not_ the worst day in her life.

This was-

“Lord Hiashi.” Her eyes snapped open but she resisted the urge to jerk her head towards the aisle.

“Sasuke, I have not gotten the chance to thank you for searching for Hinata through the night. I am glad you were able to bring her back to us safely.” She heard the rustle of armor, likely Sasuke giving her father a slight bow. Small fingers covered her own, stopping her from gripping too tightly at her skirt and causing it to wrinkle. Her sister’s hand gave hers a reassuring squeeze before returning back to her own lap.

“It was of no issue, I am just relieved I was able to find her. I actually came by to see if you would allow for Hinata to come sit with my family for the ceremony.” Hanabi strangled a gasp by pretending to cough, allowing Hinata an excuse to turn her head with the guise of checking on her and get a better view of her father’s reaction in her peripheral. Hiashi’s face was drawn in to a frown as he considered the question before smoothing to its usual mask of indifference.

“I will allow it.” Sasuke inclined his head slightly as Hiashi gestured for Hinata to go. Hanabi wriggled her eyebrows at her before schooling her features and allowing Hinata to move past her family and follow Sasuke further up the room.

She felt the stares at her back as she trailed behind Sasuke’s broad form. She swallowed as Sasuke’s family turned their attention to her, his father nodding silently and his mother offering a warm smile as Sasuke’s hand ghosted over the small of her back to lead her to a seat between his brother’s wife and himself. His brother’s wife barely acknowledged her except to shift her body slightly to be out of Hinata’s way.

“Are you feeling any better?” Sasuke said just under his breath, just loud enough for her to hear but no one else in the crowd. She gave a slight nod but couldn’t bring herself to speak, her throat suddenly feeling hot and itchy at his kindness to her.

She didn’t deserve this.

She knew she didn’t, especially since her chest still felt heavy and like her heart was breaking with each beat close to Naruto’s exchanging of vows.

Hinata was doing a horrible job of hiding her emotions.

Sasuke sighed, before lowering his head so that he was speaking into her ear, his warm breath against the sensitive skin of the shell of her ear causing a shiver to run down her spine. “When the ceremony is over, don’t leave.” His instructions were short. Cool and more typical in tone than how he had been speaking to her of late. She nodded again and braced herself for the ceremony.

* * *

 

The crowd had steadily cleared the hall and Hinata stood dutiful by Sasuke as he properly congratulated his friend. She had even mustered the energy to give Sakura a few words of compliment to her beauty and thanked her for her patience.

“Oh, Hinata, we’re just so glad you’re okay. It does mean a lot for you and your family to be present in this occasion.” Sakura was glowing, grin spread from ear to ear mirroring that of her husband. Hinata just smiled, counting her breaths to make sure she kept calm as Sakura turned her attention to their other guests.

Once the hall was emptier and the bride and groom had gone off to the reception area for the feat, Sasuke gestured for Hinata to follow. He lead her towards the far side of the room, just behind the altar where a large tapestry hung, covering the whole of the wall. Threads of shining colors depicted the history of their land, the centerpiece the fiery fox god wearing a crown of cherry blossoms that shaped the valley they inhabited.

Hinata blinked up at it, eyes trailing over the familiar scenery before coming to land on the red and white fan the made the crest of the Uchiha clan. Her own clan’s crest was on this tapestry as well but not quite as prevalent as theirs.

“Do you resent me? Being your promised, that is?” Hinata started at that. It was not a question she had heard stated so bluntly. She turned to Sasuke to find him still studying the colorful threads of the tapestry, hands clasped behind his back and posture as straight as a rod. His expression gave no hints as to what he was thinking by asking that question or what reaction he was anticipating from her.

“I do not,” she said with a soft huff. “We had… No choice in the matter.” He turned to her then, dark gaze roving over her features and causing her to feel her face alight with the familiar heat of a blush but she did not turn from him.

Their interactions had steadily gotten more comfortable since their betrothal had been announced to the courts. Sasuke had initially been cordial and she had been almost afraid to speak or look directly at him, wary of the stories she’d heard of his sour moods. Itachi had openly teased the both of them at their politeness towards each other.

She’s not sure if it was that that triggered Sasuke to offer more of himself to her personally but they had grown closer since then. She had accepted her fate even if she had still kept that small sliver of hope that things between them wouldn’t work out. That somehow she’d still get her prince…

The familiarity they had gained with each other allowed her to keep hold of his gaze with her own as he studied her openly. He licked his lips and he turned his face from her after a few moments which was not in his usual character. Sasuke shifted on his feet, hands moving to the hilt of his sword then to his sides.

“What if I did?” Hinata felt her heart skip then as he continued to avert his eyes. “Would you resent me then? If I told you I had a choice?”

An alien noise escaped her then, something between a gasp and a whine as her heartrate accelerated, thudding harshly against her ribcage. “I-I… I don’t understand.”

Sasuke ran a hand through his hair, ruffling the feathered edges into a hopeless mess around his head. He looked almost sheepish, his youth showing in his movements and Hinata was struck with how young he looked then even with his decorated armor broadening his form.

“A year ago, Naruto pulled me aside to tell me he had a dream about a flower being engulfed in a green flame.” Hinata’s eyes widened and she snapped her head back up to the tapestry, finding the fox god easily. “When Lady Tsunade brought Sakura to the castle to apprentice… His fascination with her was almost instantaneous. I know his parents had also been speaking to yours about you and your sister… You would make any noble a favorable match, Hinata.”

“Why are you telling me this now?” Her voice cracked, and she blinked rapidly to clear the tears from her vision. Music had started up in the direction of where the feast was being held.

“I’m telling you this so you understand my reasoning in specifically asking my father for you.” He turned his body to face her fully and made as though he were going to reach out to her but she flinched away. He frowned at her. “Naruto’s parents wouldn’t force an engagement on Hanabi so young and if you were unavailable… Then his choices would be lessened significantly and it’d be more likely he could choose.”

“What if it doesn’t mean anything?” She was trembling, her core burning and fists clenching and unclenching in an anger she did not know she was capable of.

“Hinata…”

“What if his dream doesn’t mean _anything?_ ” She had raised her voice, and tears were falling freely now. The room had emptied a while ago but even if there were still others milling around she didn’t care. She felt nothing but betrayal in this moment and that this outburst was justifiable. “Because if it _does_ mean something then… t-then-“

“Our centuries of peace are about to be disrupted by a great evil. Hinata, I cannot risk this. I needed for both of us to have been out of the way.” He did take a step towards her then, eyes flashing with determination as he took her shoulders in his hands.

“Please let go of me.” She whispered as he searched her face desperately.

“Hinata…”

“Sasuke, please!” She pleaded, voice hitching higher than she’d ever heard from herself. His hands fell away from her and she took a deep breath, counted to ten, and squared her shoulders. “I’m going to join my sister. Please do not speak to me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2 months late but   
> I literally only have the last week of prompts to do I'm almost there.  
> I'll get around to it.


	25. Day 23: Hesitancy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 23 SasuHina Month 2k17
> 
> Hesitancy. Part iii of soul mates au. Part i is chapter 5 on here and part ii is chapter 15.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unedited.

**Day 23: Hesitancy**

Hinata had rushed from the classroom, ignoring one of the monitors as she pushed through the front doors of the building and dashed to her car, the biting cold of winter stabbing sharply at her face as she trudged through the parking lot.

She felt a rush of relief flood through her as she dug for her keys and was finally able to get into the car.

She sat in silence, staring at the leather of the steering wheel as she caught her breath and steadied her heart rate. The wind blew hard against her car, shifting it slightly in its parked position as the tell-tale pattering of rain sounded on the metal roof above her. She concentrated on the artificial scent of laundry from the air freshener Hanabi had stuck in one of the vents. Calming and familiar.

Calm.

Familiar.

_‘I heard him.’_

She leaned forward, pressing her forehead against the cool leather of the steering wheel, raising her shoulders as she took a breath.

He was here.

Her body was already reacting badly to her running out of the building. Away from him. She felt the pull, the deep urge to get out of the car and go back in to the building in search of him. Her heart felt heavy and uncomfortable in her chest and her skin felt itchy as she thought of his pale fingers resting at his sides. Long, strong fingers that looked firm and she wondered if they would be warm with body heat or cool from the weather…

She shook her head violently and shoved the keys into the ignition, starting the engine and almost backing into a traffic cone in her haste to leave her spot.

She had to go home.

She needed to get away.

_‘I wonder if he can still hear me?’_

Hanabi opened her sister’s bedroom door a crack and poked her head through.

The room was dark, the curtains drawn only allowing a muted amount of sunlight through to cast the room in shadows. She squinted, still able to make out the lump of Hinata’s form beneath her comforter. She glanced behind her to check and make sure her father wasn’t coming around the corner and let herself in. She had long since ditched her shoes and was able to pad silently over the carpet. Hanabi crawled under the comforter and Hinata shifted her body, turning to face her sister as she got comfortable.

“I’m sorry I left early,” Hinata mumbled.

Any other day, Hanabi would’ve let Hinata know how terrible it was to have to bum a ride from one of the older student council girls and how she would’ve rather walked than take the bus, but one look at Hinata’s red rimmed eyes kept her complaints to herself. She shrugged, reaching out to wrap her arms around her sister’s waist and tucker her head under Hinata’s chin. She felt Hinata reciprocate the hug and the warmth they shared was comforting to both of the girls.

“It’s okay. Are you okay?” Hinata had started running her fingers over Hanabi’s hair, coming it out and massaging her scalp as she thought of an answer.

“I’m not sure,” she said with a sigh, hands stilling but not moving her arms from her sister’s form. Hanabi snuggled closer to her, nuzzling her nose into Hinata’s blouse. She smelled like honey and lavender. She smelled like their mother and Hanabi knew this was a conscious effort on Hinata’s end but she couldn’t help but be thankful for that choice.

When Hinata didn’t expand on her answer, Hanabi pulled away to peer up at her sister whose expression was hidden in the darkness of the room. They both heard the front door open and close and the distinct sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. Hanabi stiffened in her sister’s embrace but Hinata only sunk deeper into the mattress. There was a light knock on the door but it did not open.

“Hinata? I got a call from the school today that you left early. Are you okay?” Hinata pulled the comforter off of their heads but didn’t move to stand.

“I’m just feeling a little under the weather…” She called to the ceiling.

“If you aren’t feeling well by tomorrow please let me know to arrange a doctor’s visit.”

“I will…” The footsteps proceeded down the hall and another door opening and closing was heard. Hanabi pushed herself up on to her elbows and gave Hinata a critical look.

“So why did you really leave? You’re obviously upset.”

“There was a new student in my chemistry class today…” Hanabi’s face crumpled in confusion before her brows shot up on her forehead in realization.

“You met them.”

“Him.” Hinata corrected, pushing herself up to lean against the headboard. “He’s just transferred.” She finished, wringing her hands and frowning at how pale they looked in the dark.

“Why did you run?” Hanabi seemed genuinely curious. She herself hadn’t had any dreams like Hinata had but she’d always hoped she’d get to experience this feeling one day on her own. It was a little baffling to her that her sister didn’t seem to be all about it. Hinata groaned, pulling the comforter up and back over her head.

“I don’t know it was… It’s… It’s so unnerving. They don’t talk about this stuff and how awkward it is. He was in my _mind_ Hanabi! I could hear his thoughts, he could hear mine! He heard me when I was having a “why me” moment and I panicked and he was so calm and cool about it like it was no big deal!” Hinata burrowed deeper into her comforter and also dug under her pile of pillows. “Just… Just let me die under here. Tell dad I’m sorry.”

Hanabi rolled her eyes and started pulling at the comforter. “You’re so dramatic. I’m sure it wasn’t that bad. Is he ugly or something?”

“No,” came her sister’s muffled reply. “Opposite… I guess.”

“See? Not that bad. Don’t you feel weird? Now that you’ve seen him and all…” Another groan and then silence. Before Hanabi could try to rip the comforter from her sister Hinata peeked out from underneath the layers of fabric she had piled on top of herself.

“I feel awful,” she admitted. “It’s like-“

* * *

 

“It’s like I can’t breathe.”

Sasuke growled into the phone. Naruto chuckled on the other end of the line.

_“I can’t say I’m jealous if that’s how it’ll feel all the time now.”_

“And she didn’t even want to try to talk about it. She just ran, I think she went home for the day too.” He couldn’t help the annoyance that made it to her tone.

For the rest of the day he felt as though he were on high alert. Body taught and nerves on end as he peered around corners and through his peers to see if he could catch a glimpse of her. In every class he walked in to there was a notable absence that he knew was her. His hands shook as he tried to take notes and he was told on more than one occasion to please _try_ and sit still. He wished he could explain it to them but he knew unless they themselves had met and found their link they’d hardly be able to relate.

_“I’ve heard the first time is always going to be the weirdest. I think I read somewhere putting up boundaries helps sometimes…”_

“I’m not sure we’ll be capable of having that conversation if she can’t even look at me, speak to me, or do this weird… mind speak… whatever it’s called. God damn it!” He kicked at his desk chair sending it straight through a pile of books he had been working through and scattering them as well as a pile of papers across the room, fluttering helplessly as they settled on the floor. “Fuck!”

“Sasuke?” His brother peeked his head through the door and surveyed the destruction and he blinked blearily at Sasuke in confusion. “Everything okay?”

“Peachy. Sorry I woke you. Go back to bed.” Itachi furrowed his brow and made as though he wanted to say more before Sasuke interrupted. “I’m serious. You look awful, I’m fine. Go to sleep.” They stared each at each other a few moments longer, a silent stand-off, before Itachi decided whatever it was Sasuke was mad about he’d be fine. He shrugged before closing the door behind him.

_“Well she can’t avoid you forever. I mean… You’re kind of physically connected so you’ll actually probably see her tonight. Just try not to scare her man.”_

“Right. I’ll talk to you later.” He hit end and threw himself face first on to his mattress.

He knew it was weird, having someone else in your head. He had just experienced this for the first time himself too. But seeing her face had calmed him, a sense of ease overcoming him with every step she had taken towards their shared table. Sasuke couldn’t help the pang of hurt he’d felt at her adverse reaction to him. Of her running.

Her absence was agony.

There was that little bit of self-doubt that had been chanting at the back of his thoughts.

He had disappointed her. He wasn’t what she expected. She didn’t want him…

The rejection was like spear through his very being. The aftermath a gaping and throbbing wound where his heart was. She didn’t want him or this connection and she’d rather run. He felt the pull of sleep, today had been an exhausting day emotionally and he fell easily into unconsciousness.

But even sleep was wrong.

The blanket of darkness that enveloped him was empty and meaningless and he woke feeling more restless and on edge than before. The wall she had put up between them more vivid in this state than it had been during their waking hours. He felt cold and her uncertainty and fear bled through the darkness and fed into his worsening mood.

The next morning, Sasuke stalked into the building, shoulders slumped forward as he frowned at the map he had been given the day before. This would be the first time he’d be attending his first period class but if it were following the trend of his other classes, he was sure Hinata was meant to be there as well. He ran a hand through his hair and ignored a group of girls who had stopped to gape at him as he began to feel that same anticipation he had felt yesterday.

“Ah, Sasuke… Was it?”

He turned to look down at her. She had dark circles under her eyes, the purplish discoloration giving her face a gaunt look. She was biting her lip uncertainly and he knew she was trying very hard not to think at him.

 _“You don’t have to do that.”_ She ducked her head at his response, eyes roving the halls to see if anyone was watching them.

“It’d probably be best to communicate verbally unless we want them to be suspicious…” She mumbled into her shoulder.

“Right…” She looked up at him, eyes seeming to drink him in desperately but he couldn’t blame her. He was doing the same. Her hair was just as dark and shiny as it had been in his dreams. And so long, falling down to her waist and he just wanted to touch her. They both took a half step close to each other and she had to crane her neck up to look at him.

“I wanted… to apologize.” She whispered. The halls seem to fall away from them as she spoke and he leaned forward to make sure he caught her words though all his senses were only focused on her. “I didn’t mean to run I just… I’m sorry.” He frowned at her words and couldn’t, or wouldn’t, if he were being honest, stop himself from reaching a hand up and tracing the curve of her jaw. She shivered at his touch, leaning into it and letting him know it wasn’t because she didn’t _want_ it.

“Why are you sorry?” He traced a thumb over her cheek and he felt the heat of her blush before it made itself known on her delicate features.

“We don’t have a choice and you got… Me.” His hand stilled. She wasn’t looking at him, she had her gaze focused just above his shoulders likely studying a nondescript wall tile. He pulled his hand away and the hurt that flashed across her features seemed to confirm that everything he had been fearing the night before she had as well.

“What are you feeling?” He asked suddenly causing her to snap her focus back to his.

“I…”

 _“What are you feeling?”_ She bit her lip, eyes wide as she considered what he was asking. He felt the softness of her consciousness as she opened her mind to him and a warmth spread through his limbs as she allowed him to actually feel what she was feeling.

 _“I feel like this is right. I feel like I haven’t been living since I met you. I feel like I…”_ There was a hiccup in her thoughts and the shyness that circled around the both of them and then, more quietly she continued. _“I feel like I need to touch you.”_

He reached out and brought her hands up to his lips, ghosting his lips over her knuckles and she gulped. He smirked then. _“Everything you feel I’m feeling too.”_

_“I want this.”_


	26. Day 24: Prank

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SasuHina Month Day 24: Prank
> 
> High school au

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unedited because I'm lazy and also drunk happy sasuhina month continued....

**Prank**

The stars were still shining brightly, sky still velvety blue despite it being so close to dawn though if Sasuke concentrated hard enough towards the east he could see the telltale signs of day breaking. He shoved his fisted hands into his jacket and shifted on his feet, briefly bouncing on the balls of his feet to bring his body temperature up. Shikamaru stood next to him frowning at his phone.

“He’s late.”

“What else is new?” Sasuke spat, craning his neck towards the front of the school where the road to the gates was visible. In the distance he could see a van rounding the curve at a snail’s pace, likely not to catch anyone’s attention.

It was more than the cold that was making him fidget around nervously. When he had talked this idea through with Naruto a few hours earlier he had been hyped up by his best friend. Now that he’d had a few hours to think it through he was seriously having second thoughts.

He had never been the grand gesture type of guy.

Then again, he’d never been the type to ask someone to be his girlfriend, so he supposed there were firsts for everything and he knew he wanted to do this right.

The van pulled up to the back of the school and Naruto jumped out of the passenger sit, his grin splitting his face and almost glowing in the moonlight. Ino hopped out of the driver’s side of the van, talking excitedly into her cell phone as she came around the front of the car. Naruto gestured to the plastic bag in his hands and Shikamaru huffed.

“Okay, we’ve got three hours, tops, before the janitors get here.”

* * *

 

The world was tilted.

Or at least that’s what it felt like to Hinata.

The pressure to the front of her head was disproportionate to the rest of her body and she felt like she could not take a full breath. The blaring of her alarm clock had caused more pain than it usually had as she groped around her nightstand to shut off the offending object. Once her hand finally made contact with the cool plastic of the “off” button of her alarm clock she stopped to register her surroundings.

Her skin felt hot and sticky and there was an unmistakable pounding at her temples that usually followed a sinus headache. She tried to steady her breathing and found that her nose was stuffy. She registered the discomfort and heat of her throat as she tried swallowing some saliva. There was no doubt about it. She was sick.

She reached around for her phone and sent her father a message. He responded almost immediately, advising that he’d be sending their family doctor and for her not to move. She relaxed into her sheets and ignored her phone when it started buzzing incessantly an hour later.


End file.
